This room houses primarily Northern European paintings from the 15th and beginning of the 16th century. The early German panels are an important part of this collection. This painting depicting the testing of the cross by St. Helena is one of those rather special panels. Around 1500 Jan Polack, the painter of this panel, was the leading painter in Munich. In this work, he made St Helena, also known as the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, the central figure. The young man in the white shroud in the centre had only just died and subsequently risen from the death with the aid of the True Cross. Now Helena knows which of the three crosses she had her workers dug up is Christ’s cross. Originally, this painting was a predella: the lower part of a much bigger altar piece.

For more information on what can be seen in this painting, press A For more information on predellas, press B

AB