Kaisheimer Kreuzigung

Hans Holbein the Elder painted this Kaisheim Crucifixion around 1500 as part of his major altarpiece cycle for the Cistercian abbey of Kaisheim near Donauwörth. The Kaisheim Altar was one of Holbein's most ambitious commissions, comprising numerous panels depicting the life and Passion of Christ. It represents the summit of Augsburg late Gothic painting. 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 Holbein's characteristic tonal refinement and emotional depth. The Crucifixion scene combines monumental drama with intimate psychological detail in the mourning figures.