Veitsaltar: Die hll. Veit, Modestus und Crescentia im Löwenzwinger

Gabriel Mälesskircher was the leading painter in Munich from the 1460s through 1490s, and his altarpiece panels for Bavarian churches represent the most ambitious local workshop production before the arrival of the Danube School. This panel from the Veit Altar shows Saints Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia in the lions' den — the three Christian martyrs thrown to the lions by Diocletian. The Vitus cult was particularly strong in Bavaria, where the saint was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers invoked against epilepsy and other afflictions. Mälesskircher's handling of the dramatic scene reflects an awareness of Flemish narrative painting filtered through the South German tradition.

Mälesskircher employs a vigorous, broad handling with strong colour contrasts — the lions' tawny bodies against the crimson robes of the martyrs create a dramatic chromatic opposition. Spatial depth is limited but the figural grouping is energetic. Gold tooled haloes and architectural framing elements are present in the standard Bavarian late Gothic manner.