Of all the important European schools of painting, the Early German
school is the one of which it is almost impossible to gain anything
like an adequate idea from the pictures that have found their way into
the Galleries of foreign countries. The fact is that with the exception
of two or three leading masters, like Holbein and Dürer, the Early
Germans found but scant favour beyond the confines of their own country
until comparatively recent years—that is to say, until the majority
of important examples had been systematically gathered in by the
museums of Germany. Now that the importance of the German primitives
and Early Renaissance painters has been generally recognised, it
will be practically impossible to regain the lost ground and to fill
up the serious gaps which prevent our forming an adequate idea of
the evolution of German art in the museums of other countries. The
Louvre is no exception to this rule. The numerical weakness of the
German section is unfortunately not atoned for by the importance of
the examples included, which, with but few exceptions, are of little
artistic account.
Under the circumstances it would be useless to attempt a consecutive
narrative of the evolution of German art as illustrated by the pictures
at the Louvre, and we must confine ourselves to a brief discussion of
the few noteworthy works in the collection.
“THE MASTER OF THE BARTHOLOMEW ALTAR”
The first picture of importance belongs to the period when the idealism
of the Early Gothic primitives was already replaced by a strong
naturalism, and the creation of types by that of clearly characterised
individualities. This picture, the _Descent from the Cross_ (No. 2737),
by the unknown “Master of the Bartholomew Altar,” is so called, in
accordance with German custom, from his best known work, the great
altarpiece in the Pinakothek at Munich. In the large Louvre picture,
which bears a close resemblance to the precious little panel by the
same master in the possession of the Hon. Edward Wood, at Temple
Newsam, the Saviour is being lowered from the Cross by Nicodemus into
the hands of one of the Holy Women on the left, and of Joseph of
Arimathæa on the right. The group is completed by St. John supporting
the Virgin on the extreme left, the Magdalen and another Holy Woman on
the right, and a Disciple seated on a ladder above the central group.
The figures are shown, as in the Temple Newsam painting of the same
subject, against a gold background framed with rich Gothic tracery.
This altarpiece is believed to be the last picture by this Cologne
master, who flourished between 1490 and 1515, and was in his later
manner influenced by Rogier van der Weyden and other Flemish masters.
This eminently important Early German picture was painted for a Jesuit
establishment in the rue St. Antoine, Paris, which accounts for its
presence in the French national collection.