The wings of the Wurzach Altar by Hans Multscher are among the most important 15th-century German paintings. In the 18th century they formed part of the art collection of the Count of Waldburg Zeil in Schloss Wurzach in Upper Swabia, a provenance that is still reflected in their name today - the Wurzach Altar.

The panels came from a winged altar of considerable dimensions which has been lost without trace. Originally there was a carved central shrine, in which a Crucifixion group was probably represented. When the wings were closed, the altar showed four scenes relating to the Madonna; these (from top left to bottom right) were The Nativity, The Adoration of the Magi, The Descent of the Holy Ghost and The Death of the Virgin. When opened, the inner sides of the wings showed four scenes from the Passion, which flanked the central Crucifixion. Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives (top left), served as a companion-piece to Christ before Pilate (top right), while Christ bearing the Cross (bottom left), was placed opposite The Resurrection.

The original location of the altar has never been established. When it was dismantled, the front and rear sides of the wings became separated. On the two lower panels of the closed altar, showing The Descent of the Holy Ghost and The Death of the Virgin, the artist appended his signature : `bitte got für hanssen muoltscheren vo richehove burg ze ulm haut dz werk gemacht do ma zalt MCCCCXXXVII'. Records show that in 1437 the Swabian artist, who came from Reichenhafen near Leutkirch, became a burgher of Ulm, where he worked not only as a painter but more often as a sculptor and engraver. The strength and solidity of the painted figures and their remarkable realism leave one in no doubt that Multscher combined the skills of both sculptor and painter, even though, in keeping with medieval practice, he may well have made use of a well-staffed workshop.

Preview	Picture Data	Info
	Prayer on the Mount of Olives 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Christ before Pilate 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Christ before Pilate (detail) 1437 Panel Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Christus before Pilate (detail) 1437 Oak panel Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Christ Carrying the Cross 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Resurrection 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	The Birth of Christ 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Th Adoration of the Magi 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Pentecost 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	The Death of the Virgin 1437 Panel, 148 x 140 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	The Death of the Virgin (detail) 1437 Panel Staatliche Museen, Berlin