Altarpiece of the Virgin, or so-called Princes' Altarpiece [left wing]

The Altarpiece of the Virgin (Princes’ Altarpiece), left wing painted in 1510 and held at the Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie, is part of the same altarpiece ensemble as the central panel. The left wing typically depicted saints or narrative scenes that complemented the central devotional image. As part of a princely commission, the altarpiece demonstrates the continued importance of religious art patronage among German aristocrats in the years before the Reformation challenged the theological basis of such works. The Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie’s preservation of multiple panels from this altarpiece allows scholars to reconstruct the original ensemble and understand Cranach’s approach to integrated altarpiece design.

The wing panel demonstrates Cranach's careful compositional design for the altarpiece format, with devotional imagery scaled and arranged to complement the central panel when the altarpiece is opened.