Founding of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome

Grünewald's Founding of Santa Maria Maggiore from around 1510 depicts the legendary vision of Pope Liberius and the Roman patrician John, who both dreamed of snow falling on the Esquiline Hill in Rome in August — the divine sign indicating where the new church of Santa Maria Maggiore was to be built. The subject combined Marian devotion with architectural commission narrative, the miraculous snowfall providing Grünewald with an atmospheric subject suited to his command of dramatic natural effects. The work was likely painted for an altarpiece whose program combined this legendary founding with other Marian subjects.

Grünewald's extraordinary handling of supernatural light, with the miraculous snow glowing against warm summer colors, demonstrates his unmatched ability to visualize the supernatural through color and atmosphere.