Altarpiece with The Passion of Christc. 1440s · Study 1951.453.c

Context from the museum

The visual focus of this altarpiece is the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. So-called Passion cycles in art include the events leading up to and following the Crucifixion, not only as single subjects but as scenes meant to be read in sequence. Passion cycles were promoted by the two great teaching orders, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, for whom this subject represented the main religious drama of their churches, and also by the German mystics who advocated private contemplation on the humanity and suffering of Christ. The original context for this altarpiece remains unknown, but it was probably made for a religious institution in Westphalia in the Rhine Valley. During the 1870s it was given to the Abbey of Schlägl, near Linz in Upper Austria, from which both altarpiece and artist take their names. The altarpiece is not preserved today in its original format, and some of the individual scenes are missing. Scholars continue to debate the original number of scenes and their sequencing; nine of the original panels have survived, four are shown here.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Altarpiece with The Passion of Christ is 69.8 cm wide and 74.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 27.5 × 29.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.94:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.52 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 23.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 115.1 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Altarpiece with The Passion of Christ in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil and gold on wood, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 69.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?