Isenheim Altarpiece, second opening

The second opening of the Isenheim Altarpiece reveals carved wooden figures by Nikolaus Hagenauer flanked by Grünewald's painted panels of Saints Paul and Anthony in the Desert and the Temptation of Saint Anthony. This innermost configuration was displayed only on the feast of Saint Anthony, patron of the Antonite order. 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.

Grünewald's painted wings for the second opening display the widest range of his art, from the serene paradise landscape of the hermit saints to the terrifying demonic assault on Anthony.