Tempelhof Altarpiece Explained

Tempelhof Altarpiece
Other Language 1:French
Other Title 1:Retable du Tempelhof de Bergheim
Wikidata:Q100531208
Artist:Jost Haller
Year:circa 1445
Medium:oil paint on fir wood
Movement:International Gothic
Christian art
Subject:John the Baptist
Saint George and the Dragon
Height Metric:89.4
Width Metric:212
Dimensions Ref:[1]
Metric Unit:cm
Museum:Unterlinden Museum
City:Colmar
Accession:1852

The Tempelhof Altarpiece is an oil on panel painting from circa 1445, by the German artist Jost Haller, today in the collection of the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, Alsace (inventory number 88.RP.142). It had originally belonged to the commandery of the Order of Saint John, also called the Tempelhof, of Bergheim near Colmar, where it was used as a church altarpiece. After it was confiscated in 1793, at the height of the French Revolution, it became "state owned" (bien national), before eventually becoming an item of the museum's collection.[1] [2]

The left half of the painting depicts John the Baptist (the patron saint of the Order of Saint John) preaching to a crowd while pointing at Jesus, who stands close to the middle. The right half shows Saint George, a Saint George's Cross prominently displayed on his chest, slaying the dragon under the eyes of the princess. Standing close to the middle as well, but back-to-back with Jesus, she's dressed in flamboyant red with a little green on the sleeves, while Jesus is dressed in purple and a less fiery red.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Retable du Tempelhof de Bergheim : Prédication de Jean-Baptiste et Combat de saint Georges . webmuseo.com . Musée Unterlinden . 26 September 2023.
  2. Book: Haas . Magali . Le musée Unterlinden - Guide des collections . April 2016 . Éditions Artlys . Paris . 978-2-85495-625-2 . 90–91.