Austrian, 'The Trinity with Christ Crucified', about 1410
About the work
Overview
This large painting shows the three divine beings of the Trinity: God the Father supports his son, Christ, who is shown crucified; he seems minute by comparison. The Holy Ghost is represented by a dove that hovers between the two. On either side, an angel kneels in adoration.
The simple colour scheme of green, red and white is striking against the gilded background. The patterned robes of the angels emulate damask and contrast with the austere simplicity of the white throne. Their decoration was created using imitation sgraffito, applying glazes of paint over areas of gilding, leaving some parts uncovered to create the patterns. This replicated the visual effects of the Italian sgraffito technique, where a layer of gold leaf was covered entirely by paint which was then scratched away in areas to reveal the metal beneath. The inscriptions on the scrolls crossed around the angels’ necks were not intended to be legible.
This panel once formed the central part of an altarpiece with panels on either side – the hinge marks are still visible on either side of the frame, which is original to the picture (four panels in Rastenberg Castle, Austria, have been identified as the side panels).
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Trinity with Christ Crucified
- Artist
- Austrian
- Date made
- about 1410
- Medium and support
- egg tempera on wood
- Dimensions
- 118.1 × 114.9 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought with a contribution from the Art Fund, 1922
- Inventory number
- NG3662
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 15th-century Austrian Frame (original frame)
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Susan Foister, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800’, London 2024; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1959Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The German Schools, London 1959
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
-
2024S. Foister, National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800, 2 vols, London 2024
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.