Artwork

Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne

Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne, by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, unspecified
Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne, by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, unspecified

Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne is an unspecified painting by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder. It is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

The work is an oak‑panel painting attributed to the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, presently displayed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. Executed in a devotional format, it presents a pair of male saints framed by an ornamental arch, set against a subdued backdrop that emphasizes the figures through subtle modeling.

Subject & Meaning

On the left stands a bishop, identifiable by his mitre and crosier, while his companion on the right wears a modest habit, holds a book and a staff, suggesting a scholarly saint, likely St. Jerome. The composition underscores themes of ecclesiastical authority and ascetic learning, inviting contemplation of penitential devotion.

Technique & Style

The painter employs chiaroscuro to model the forms, creating a gentle gradation of light that gives the figures a three‑dimensional presence. The muted tonal palette and restrained decorative arch reflect a Northern Renaissance sensibility, balancing realism with a devotional solemnity.

History & Provenance

Attributed to the early 16th‑century workshop of the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, the panel entered the Alte Pinakothek’s collection during the museum’s formative acquisitions of German religious art. Its provenance prior to museum ownership remains undocumented, typical of many panel works of this period.

Context

The painting belongs to a tradition of small‑scale devotional panels intended for private contemplation or chapel altars. Its iconography aligns with contemporary veneration of saints associated with scholarship and repentance, resonating with the spiritual climate of late medieval Germany.

St. Jerome and a bishop
St. Jerome and a bishop, Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder

Artist & collection

Artist

Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder

The Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder was an anonymous German painter active in Cologne in the early fifteenth century, roughly between 1410 and 1440.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne?

Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne was painted by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder.

Where can I see Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne?

Die hll. Augustinus und Andreas Außenseite: Buße des hl. Hieronymus und kniende Nonne is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.