SOUTH GERMAN OR AUSTRIAN
The Holy Trinity, circa 1450

Oil on wood, 112 x 82 cm

PROVENANCE
Collection Helmuth Lüttgens, Aachen;
Collection Axel Heinemann, Aachen;
Sale Philipps, London 10.12.1991, Lot 42 (as 'South German, 16th Century');
Sale Kunsthaus am Museum, Carola van Ham, Köln, 23.-25.6.1993, Lot 937 (as 'Westphalia, 15th Century');
Collection Steinmetz-Härle;
Sale Lempertz, Cologne, 15 May 2010, lot 1504;
Private Collection, Germany.

PRICE
Please contact me

EXHIBITION
Lindau, Stadtmuseum, Das spätgotische Tafelbild im deutschsprachigen Raum – Eine Privatsammlung, Lindau 2007, p. 11, no. 5 (as 'Austrian, circa 1450')

This powerful painting shows the three divine beings of the Trinity: God the Father, Christ and the Holy Ghost. God, sitting on his throne, supports his son, Christ, who is shown crucified and in a smaller scale. The Holy Ghost is represented by a dove that hovers between the two. On either side, three angels kneel in adoration.
The simple colour scheme of green, red and blue, which traditionally is a symbolic reference to the Trinity, is striking against the gilded and patterned background. This panel once formed the central part of an altarpiece with panels on either side. The hinge marks are still visible on the frame, which is original to the picture.