The Adoration of the Holy Trinity (Landauer Altarpiece) Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)

Description of Albrecht Dürer’s The Adoration of the Holy Trinity (1511).

One of Dürer’s most solemn works is The Adoration of the Holy Trinity. In 1511 the artist was commissioned by the merchant and owner of a brass workshop, Matthias Landauer. The work was intended for the altar of the chapel in the almshouse for 12 lonely artisans, which the merchant had built. Landauer wished that his wards would pray for the salvation of his soul.

The artist painted a picture very solemn, as it is supposed to be the altar. The image of the Trinity is painted traditionally. In the center of the picture is the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit incarnate in a dove, God the Father, Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. In the upper left corner, the Mother of God and the martyrs are depicted; in the upper right corner, John the Baptist, the sibyls, and the prophets are depicted. In the lower left corner, the picture depicts the Holy Fathers, Church figures. Among them is a portrait of Matthias Landauer in a brown cloak, bowing his head in prayer to the Holy Trinity. In the upper right corner are depicted the laity, led by the king and the emperor. Among them can be seen both knights and peasant, noble and rich people.

The master painted the picture so that the audience, looking at it thought that the terrible trial had passed, and justice, equality and fraternity reigned. Dürer conveyed the basic idea of equality before the Path of Mercy, where there are no rich or poor, nobles or commoners.

The entire bottom edge of the painting is occupied by a landscape with the figure of a man on the right. The lonely man in the picture is Dürer. He has depicted himself sadly, standing on the ground by the lake, where there is a cartouche with the signature of the author.

The ratio of the figures towering in the sky to Albert Dürer’s image makes this a monumental work, despite the fact that the painting itself is not large.