An Allegory of the Old and New Testaments

Holbein's Allegory of the Old and New Testaments (c. 1530) at the Scottish National Gallery is a typological painting presenting Protestant theology's understanding of the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The composition — with the tree of death on one side and the tree of life on the other, figures representing Law and Grace flanking a central crucified Christ — is a visual argument for the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith. Holbein's engagement with this reformist subject during his Swiss years reflects the profound religious debates of the Reformation period that were reshaping Basel and the German-speaking world. The work demonstrates that Holbein was not merely a formal innovator but an engaged participant in the theological culture of his time.

The symmetrical composition with a central tree dividing the two dispensations creates a clear visual theology, with precise figural drawing and Northern landscape detail serving the didactic program.