Room 17

Jupiter, the ruler of the gods, is seated on a cloud, his attribute of an eagle with thunderbolts in its beak beside him. He is embracing the goddess Minerva, his daughter. The scene is witnessed by a gathering of the gods of Olympus, clearly shocked by what they see.Mercury, messenger of the god...

The Virgin Mary has collapsed with grief after learning that Christ, her son, has accepted his inevitable death as the will of God and is making to leave for Jerusalem. The episode is not recorded in the Bible, but it appears in a fourteenth-century German devotional text as well as in Passion pl...

This scene probably doesn't represent a particular place but is rather an impression of the Danube valley, where Altdorfer lived. It is one of two paintings by Altdorfer without figures, which reflected the development of landscape painting as a subject in its own right.The low viewpoint emphasis...

Although we do not know his name, we can tell a lot about Baldung Grien’s mature sitter from the details of his costume. The large fur collar of his coat, the jewel on his cap and the two gold chains around his neck show off his wealth. The longer chain bears two badges: the Virgin and Child with...

The Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist stand in Christ’s red marble tomb supporting his lifeless body. He is partially covered by a burial shroud, but the spear wound on his side is visible. The Virgin mourns her son, wiping her eyes with her veil. John the Evangelist places his hand to hi...

Christ is shown crouching in the river Jordan as Saint John baptises him, pouring water over his head. An angel and two cherubs carry a red drapery to wrap around Christ after baptism. The sky has opened up to reveal the intense light of heaven where the bearded figure of God the Father is surrou...

This scene is set in heaven, and Rottenhammer has managed to convey its vast scale even in this small space: rows of angels, saints and prophets fill every inch of the painting, and the more distant figures are painted very faintly to create a feeling of expansiveness.At the top, surrounded by a...

In the fields beside a broad winding river labourers scythe grass to make hay, while a shepherd takes advantage of the shade of a large tree to shear a sheep. A woman with a large tray of fruit on her head is perhaps on her way to the town opposite to sell her produce at market. Meanwhile, aristo...