Every time I look at one, I rediscover a complete awe and adoration for medieval paintings! I just can't resits the boldness, the creativity, the practical solutions that painters had for things that were not obvious. St. Antonious trials? No problem, let's paint bunch of wild looking monsters tearing him apart. I haven't seen a monster before? Oh, I will make one up, no problem. What? I need to paint a lion, and I've never seen one and can't look up one on the internet? I will just make up somehting that people told me looks like a lion. Here - I need to paint Christ's ancension? Hm... well, if he went up, he at some point hit the clouds, and at some point just his feet were sticking out. Bingo!
I had a great time drooling over the collection from Unterlinden Museum in Colmar. This detail is from the altar of the Dominican Church in Colmar, painted by the town's own Martin Schongauer in 15th century.
