Triptych of the Lamentation of Christ

The Master of Frankfurt's Triptych of the Lamentation of Christ belongs to this Frankfurt-based anonymous painter's most important surviving commission, demonstrating his competent synthesis of Flemish devotional painting conventions for the Rhine valley market. The Master of Frankfurt, active around 1490-1520 and named for a celebrated Lamentation in Frankfurt, produced altarpieces that combined Flemish figure conventions with the German devotional tradition's emotional directness. His triptych format, with the Lamentation as the central narrative and flanking elements completing the Passion program, served the institutional requirements of Frankfurt's ecclesiastical patrons.

The triptych format allows for an expansive narrative treatment, with the Master of Frankfurt's characteristic blend of precise Netherlandish detail, rich coloring, and emotionally expressive figural groupings.