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Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin, 'The Mass of Saint Hubert: Right Hand Shutter', probably 1485-90

About the work

This panel once decorated the inner face of the right-hand shutter of an altarpiece made for the Benedictine abbey in Werden, near Cologne. An earlier episode of the saint’s life – the moment of his conversion to Christianity – appeared on the left-hand shutter.

After his conversion, Hubert devoted himself to his faith, and this scene shows him being consecrated as Bishop of Liège. An angel appears before him with a stole (part of the liturgical dress of a bishop, worn around the neck). Behind, a deacon holds a mitre (hat) and a crosier (an ornamental crook), which were only worn by bishops.

A relief sculpture of God the Father enthroned forms the central part of the gilded altarpiece, overseeing the ceremony. He is flanked on either side by Saints Peter and Paul, significant here for their role in spreading the word of Christ as the Church’s first apostles – perhaps a reference to Hubert’s own life of preaching.

Key facts

Full title
The Mass of Saint Hubert: Right Hand Shutter
Artist
Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin
Artist dates
active second half of the 15th century
Part of the series
Two Shutters from the Werden Altarpiece
Date made
probably 1485-90
Medium and support
oil, originally on wood, transferred to canvas
Dimensions
123.2 × 83.2 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1854
Inventory number
NG253
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 the Werden Altarpiece

Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin, 'Saints Jerome, Bernard (?), Giles and Benedict (?)', probably 1485-90

These paintings once formed the shutters of an altarpiece made for the Benedictine abbey at Werden, near Cologne in Germany. The shutters were decorated on both sides, and could be closed to protect the central part of the altarpiece, which has not been traced.

The inner and outer faces have been separated, creating four panels out of two. The inner faces, which would have been visible when the shutters were open, show events from the life of Saint Hubert. The outer faces each show four standing saints, including Saint Hubert and Saint Benedict, as well as other members of the Benedictine Order.

Saints Jerome, Bernard (?), Giles and Benedict (?)
Saints Jerome, Bernard (?), Giles and Benedict (?)
Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin
This is the outer face of the right-hand shutter of an altarpiece made for the Benedictine abbey at Werden. The outer face of the left-hand shutter, which is in the National Gallery’s collection, also shows four standing saints.Saint Jerome, dressed in red cardinal’s robes, pets the lion that was...
Not on display
Saints Augustine, Hubert, Ludger (?) and Gereon (?)
Saints Augustine, Hubert, Ludger (?) and Gereon (?)
Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin
This is the outer face of the left-hand shutter of an altarpiece from the Benedictine abbey in Werden, near Cologne. It would have been visible when the shutters were closed over the central part of the altarpiece, which has not been traced. The outer face of the right-hand shutter, which is also...
Not on display
The Conversion of Saint Hubert: Left Hand Shutter
The Conversion of Saint Hubert: Left Hand Shutter
Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin
Saint Hubert kneels in prayer in front of a vision of Christ upon the Cross, which has miraculously appeared between the antlers of a stag. Hubert was a courtier in Metz, a city in the eastern Frankish Kingdom, and an enthusiastic hunter. He had been out with his dogs in the forest of Ardennes wh...
Not on display
The Mass of Saint Hubert: Right Hand Shutter
The Mass of Saint Hubert: Right Hand Shutter
Workshop of the Master of the Life of the Virgin
This panel once decorated the inner face of the right-hand shutter of an altarpiece made for the Benedictine abbey in Werden, near Cologne. An earlier episode of the saint’s life – the moment of his conversion to Christianity – appeared on the left-hand shutter.After his conversion, Hubert devote...
Not on display

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