Large wooden relief with religious eminences

Height: 108.4 cm.
Width: 75 cm.
Depth: 13 cm.
Southern Germany, early 16th century.

The relief is almost entirely sculpted and is set in an angular frame surrounded by narrow round columns and geometrically faceted capitals. These capitals bear a masterfully crafted leaf carving that gives the impression of a Gothic loggia. It appears that the relief was added to the framing at a later date. It is carved, polychrome painted and partially gilded, with the original setting largely preserved, although it was restored at an earlier date.
The relief represents the most important part of an overall depiction, of which the side and central parts are missing. The multi-figure depiction cannot be precisely determined due to the lack of further attributes. A total of 12 figures are depicted: At the back are four male figures (church fathers and monks) and three female Carmelites, depicted with specific vestments and general ecclesiastical attributes. In the middle section are two men, presumably companions, who are depicted without religious attributes and with richly carved details.
In the front section, the eminences are kneeling and praying, wrapped in deeply carved and gilded robes. The Roman crown, mitre and cardinal's hat attest to the importance of these personalities and indicate the high relevance of the wooden relief. The carving is of high quality, and the precise physiognomic rendering of the faces and the falling, pleated draperies are probably stylistically consistent with the creation of the work. (1410421) (1) (19)