Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece: Resurrection

Hans Holbein the Elder painted the Resurrection for the Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece around 1501. The triumphant rising of Christ was the climactic moment that justified the entire Passion narrative. Holbein's treatment combines the supernatural radiance of the event with naturalistic detail in the startled guards. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with dramatic light effects surrounding the risen Christ and the contrasting darkness of the guards' confusion. The supernatural event is rendered with Holbein's characteristic ability to balance the earthly and divine.