![Feilitzsch Altarpiece [right wing, verso]: St Paul by Lucas Cranach the Elder](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lucas_Cranach_d.%C3%84._-_Der_Feilitzscher_Altar_(ge%C3%B6ffnet)_(cropped3).jpg&width=1200)
Feilitzsch Altarpiece [right wing, verso]: St Paul
Historical Context
Feilitzsch Altarpiece right wing verso, depicting Saint Paul, painted in 1512, shows the apostle as an exterior panel visible when the altarpiece was closed during ordinary days. Paul is typically shown with his traditional attributes of a sword (symbolizing his martyrdom by beheading) and a book (representing his epistles). The pairing of Paul with John the Evangelist on the opposite exterior wing follows conventional altarpiece iconography, placing two pillars of Christian teaching as guardians of the closed shrine. Cranach’s exterior panels were typically painted in a more restrained palette than the vibrant interior scenes, creating a dramatic visual contrast when the wings were opened on holy days.
Technical Analysis
The panel shows the precise draftsmanship and rich color characteristic of German Renaissance painting, with the detailed rendering and clear compositional structure typical of the artist's workshop production.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice Saint Paul's traditional attributes: a sword symbolizing his martyrdom, and a book for his epistles — Cranach renders these identifying objects with his characteristic precision.
- ◆Look at how this exterior panel (verso) differs in purpose from the interior panels: visible on ordinary days when the altarpiece was closed, it welcomed daily worshippers.
- ◆Find the dignified, standing saint format Cranach uses for apostles on exterior panels: formal, clear, and legible from a distance.
- ◆Observe the Feilitzsch Altarpiece context: this exterior panel functioned as the altarpiece's public face during most of the liturgical year.
