The Isenheim Altarpiece: The Devil Is in the Details

The Isenheim Altarpiece, painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516, has been called “the most moving and impressive series of religious paintings of the entire Middle Ages.”¹ The altarpiece consists of nine paintings and eight carvings, all placed on hinged panels so that the figures can be seen in various positions. Shown here are, from left to right, the Annunciation, the Concert of Angels and Nativity, and the Resurrection.

All of the paintings are rich in religious symbolism: The central painting has been a particular object of study, and some of the images still remain obscure. However, in her book The Devil at Isenheim (Univ. of California Press, 1988), Ruth Mellinkoff of the University of California’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, proposes a new understanding of one figure: She believes the orchestra of angels playing for the birth of Jesus includes Lucifer.