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Circle of Master of Liesborn, 'Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine', about 1465-90

About the work

This panel once formed the left shutter of an altarpiece in the Benedictine abbey at Liesborn in north-west Germany. The right-hand shutter is also in the National Gallery’s collection.

This painting shows, from left to right, Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine. The gilded clasp that fastens Saint Gregory’s robes is decorated with the scene of the Annunciation (the moment the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the son of God). Saint Maurice is dressed in armour: he was a Roman soldier. He led his legion to convert to Christianity, and they were all martyred for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. Maurice was often shown with Saint Exuperius, a member of the same legion, who features at the centre of the left-hand panel. The scholar Saint Augustine is on the right, holding a heart pierced by an arrow. This is a reference to his writings, in which he described how God had pierced his heart with the arrow of his love.

Key facts

Full title
Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine
Artist
Circle of Master of Liesborn
Artist dates
active second half of the 15th century
Part of the series
Two Shutters from an Altarpiece
Date made
about 1465-90
Medium and support
oil, originally on wood, transferred to canvas
Dimensions
120 × 67.9 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1854
Inventory number
NG255
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

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.

About the series: Two Shutters from an Altarpiece

Circle of the Master of Liesborn, 'Saints Ambrose, Exuperius and Jerome', about 1465-90

These two panels once formed the shutters of an altarpiece in the Benedictine abbey in Liesborn, a town in the north-western German region of Westphalia. Placed on either side of the centrepiece, the shutters would protect and conceal it when closed.

The artist’s identity is unknown, but he has been named after the altarpiece that he made for the high altar of the same church. Several fragments of the high altarpiece are in the National Gallery’s collection.

Saints Ambrose, Exuperius and Jerome
Saints Ambrose, Exuperius and Jerome
Circle of the Master of Liesborn
This panel once formed the left shutter of an altarpiece in the Benedictine abbey at Liesborn in north-west Germany. The right-hand shutter, which shows Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine, is also in the National Gallery’s collection.Saints Ambrose, Exuperius and Jerome are shown here beneath...
Not on display
Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine
Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine
Circle of Master of Liesborn
This panel once formed the left shutter of an altarpiece in the Benedictine abbey at Liesborn in north-west Germany. The right-hand shutter is also in the National Gallery’s collection.This painting shows, from left to right, Saints Gregory, Maurice and Augustine. The gilded clasp that fastens Sa...
Not on display

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