Every once in awhile I like to inject a little culture into the blog by sharing some interesting and strange art that has a paranormal twist! Today's offering is a painting by Michael Pacher entitled, Saint Wolfgang and the Devil (ca. 1475).
This painting originally appeared as an altar piece in a church located at St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, Austria. Legend states that St. Wolfgang founded the first church in this area by throwing an axe down a mountain and building where it landed. And, as this painting depicts, St. Wolfgang even tricked the Devil himself into helping with the building labor. The Devil was promised the first living being to set foot in the church in exchange for his work. Unfortunately for the Devil, an expected human 'offering' actually turned out to be a wolf! Pacher's work shows the Devil trying to argue his case with the soon-to-be Saint who just swindled him.
Today, this piece is on display at Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
*If you're wondering why the Devil has an extra face below the belt, please see my blog entry on the Osculum Infame, otherwise known as the Kiss of Shame*
why is this also named 'The Devil Presenting St. Augustine With The Book Of Vices'?
ReplyDeleteExploring Michael Pacher's iconic 15th-century masterpiece Saint Wolfgang and the Devil offers an unforgettable journey into the bizarre, grotesque visual imagination of Late Gothic art. Painted on the reverse side of the famous St. Wolfgang altarpiece panel, the scene depicts the 10th-century bishop compelling a nightmarish, green-scaled demon with extra faces and glaring eyes to hold his holy book. Art historians and fans of the macabre love analyzing how Pacher blended crisp Tyrolean woodcarving sensibilities with startling anatomical distortion to symbolize divine authority over chaotic evil. When you want to treat yourself to a relaxing break after analyzing medieval demonology, exploring art history galleries, and dissecting surreal altarpieces, visit https://magius-cas.net/.
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