Kaisheimer Altar: Beschneidung Christi

Hans Holbein the Elder painted the Circumcision for the Kaisheim Altar in 1502. The Circumcision of Christ eight days after birth was the first ritual event in the infant's life and held deep theological significance as the first shedding of his blood. Holbein's treatment places the ceremony in an elaborate temple setting. 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 detailed rendering of the temple architecture and liturgical vestments. The ceremonial scene is staged with Holbein's characteristic attention to the participants' varied emotional responses.