Guided Tour of the Kefermarkt Winged Altar

Created between 1490 and 1497 by an unknown master, this winged altarpiece is considered one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in the German-speaking world—an altarpiece whose great richness lies in its details.

What fascinates the viewer are the meticulously rendered details. No two figures wear the same garment, and all the objects have been rendered in minute detail. Along with Michael Pacher’s altar in St. Wolfgang and Veit Stoß’s altar of the Virgin Mary in Kraków, it ranks among the three great altars of the late 15th century. Inside the shrine of the 13.5-meter-high altar, crafted from linden wood, stand larger-than-life statues of St. Peter, St. Wolfgang, and St. Christopher, supported by richly decorated consoles and crowned by canopies. The two wings depict scenes from the life of Mary. Between 1852 and 1855, the altar—which had already been infested with woodworms and coated with distemper—was saved on the initiative of the poet Adalbert Stifter, who was also a conservator. In the process, however, the altar was altered in several ways by the sculptors Johann and Josef Rint, who, as true representatives of the 19th century, viewed things through a different lens than we do today. The result of the restoration is therefore controversial, particularly the removal of the paint. However, on some days, the exposed grain of the wood makes the figures appear particularly three-dimensional and seems to fill them with a warmth that makes one believe they are standing alive before you.