Elegius von Noyon

Bartholomäus Zeitblom was the leading painter of Ulm in the late fifteenth century. This panel of Eligius von Noyon from the Sammlung Dursch depicts the patron saint of goldsmiths and metalworkers, a particularly appropriate subject in Ulm, which was a major center of goldsmithing and craft production in late medieval Swabia. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Zeitblom's characteristic gentle manner is evident in the saint's calm expression and soft modeling, with careful rendering of the bishop's vestments and goldsmith's tools that identify the saintly craftsman.