Kreuzaltar, Flügelaußenseite: Kaiserin Helena findet das wahre Kreuz Christi und Erprobung des Kreuzes

This religious painting from 1450 by Master of the Polling Panels reflects the enduring importance of religious painting in the Early Renaissance. Master of the Polling Panels brings distinctive artistic vision to the sacred narrative, creating a work that served both devotional and artistic purposes in fifteenth-century European culture. By the mid-fifteenth century, the innovations of Masaccio, Brunelleschi, and the Van Eycks had fundamentally altered the possibilities of painting, establishing perspective, oil glazing, and naturalistic light as standard tools.

The devotional work is executed with skilled technique, reflecting Master of the Polling Panels's engagement with the demands of religious painting. The composition balances narrative clarity with spiritual atmosphere, using careful observation to heighten the sacred drama.