[MR] Wikipedia: Kefermarkt Altarpiece

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today's "Featured Picture" on Wikipedia shows the central panel of the
Kefermarkt Altarpiece. Rather than just refer you to this single panel, I
went to the source page. And what an amazing artwork this is!

Unlike so many altarpieces that are painted on flat panels, this one is
carved wood in high relief. You might expect that such an elaborate
creation would be in a cathedral, but actually it is in a parish church in
. . . wait for it . . . Kefermarkt, Upper Austria. It was commissioned by a
local lord, Christoph von Zelking. The piece was completed about 1497 by an
unknown artist, or group of artists, known only as "The Master of the
Kefermarkt Altarpiece".

The central panel depicts Saint Wolfgang, who is the patron of the church.
He is flanked by Saints Christopher and Peter. The smaller side panels
concentrate on Mary, showing the Annunciation, the birth of Jesus and the
manger incident, the three Magi, and Mary's death. The towering
superstructure is home to some other saints.

The Kefermarkt Altarpiece is considered one of the finest surviving
examples of late medieval wood sculpture in German-speaking Europe.

For more detail, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefermarkt_altarpiece .
Don't forget that the thumbnails on the Wikipedia page are links to larger
images. You really have to blow the thumbnails up to appreciate the
incredible workmanship.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.