The mystical brilliance of Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece

Mathis Nithart (or Gothart), known as Matthias Grünewald (painter), Nikolaus of Haguenau (sculptor), The Isenheim Altarpiece, 1512-16, oil and tempera on limewood panels, 376 x 668 cm (Musée Unterlinden, Colmar, France)
speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@SmittenKitten.]

It feels like I received a full lecture's worth of information in less than 17 minutes! This was illuminating.

[@iloveSUVs]

When I saw this piece in Colmar I had never heard of it. I was blown away. I still get goosebumps when I think about it. Truly a divinely inspired masterpiece.

[@spinvalve]

Mystical brilliance indeed

[@codedlAnguage]

In total agreement. 💖

[@martijnkeisers5900]

I have never seen anything like it, truly amazing.

[@dumoulin11]

I love how he disguised the break between the Choir of Angels and the Nativity, even hanging a green curtain across the upper portion.

[@davidramos4707]

You guys are amazing. I asked for this less than a year ago, and you delivered. Thank you for posting this.

[@florianartus3231]

Une des œuvres d'art les plus incroyables que je connaisse. Un passage obligé à chacun de mes passages dans la région de Colmar.

[@kentwang44]

The detail and brilliant colors are exquisite. The masters of the Northern Renaissance were incredible.

[@chinarmart8685]

Thank you so much for your work and the comprehensive analysis.

[@Markph7]

Amazing presentation on one of the most complex and powerful altarpieces. Thank you for opening up this amazing work of art and helping us “get” what the patients were suffering and how the artist was making a connection between their suffering and God

[@cynthiacassel]

How wonderful you have taken the altarpiece and have educated people about the meaning of each detail. Thank you.

[@codedlAnguage]

Excellent. Life is so Effing GOOD AND GETTING MORE AND More Perfect each and every single day. 💖💖💖💖💖😂😂💖💖💖💖💖

[@tallmikbcroft6937]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing

[@almeggs3247]

I believe this tryptic is the most authentic of Christ’s passion and resurrection this must have been a revelation to the artists from God Himself a real phenomenon! And beautifully narrated historically congratulations!

[@alahalla1]

There's something psychedelic about the vivid rainbow colors used throughout the altarpiece and especially the orb of light surrounding Christ in the second panel. Perhaps this is another representation of the symptoms of ergotism.

[@catlvr-kg9ol]

I love that theory! Sadly, there is no evidence to suggest that Grünewald was experiencing hallucinations while painting the altarpiece. However, ergot definitely caused people to hallucinate and perhaps this influenced his work. There is not a lot of academic literature on ergotisms effect on art and society. It is not a rarity though. There have been multiple cases of ergotism in the last 200 years.

[@barrymoore4470]

The monstrous grotesqueness of the stricken figure of Christ and the offensive demons, along with the palpable sense of assault they make, might also be suggestive of a mind ensnared by hallucination or delusion.

[@p.w.harris9883]

There's no evidence just the ergot, Psilocybe, and fly agaric motifs hidden throughout the central panel

[@LJ7000]

One thing you didn't mention was how risen Christ's blueish robe coming out of the tomb up to the yellow toward his body mirrors the God above the blue mountain in the nativity scene.

[@camaramarcelo]

So amazing! Thank you

[@jenn5628]

I just love that piano into and outro

[@Sasha0927]

Ah, this is the commentary vid that goes on forever, lol. And I'm definitely watching! What a note to end this playlist on. It was a great idea for the museum to open the panels up. I'd walk along and absorb each one.. Love that you guys made it on time for Good Friday, that just adds a little something for me. I have to say, though.. this is one of the most gruesome depictions of Jesus' crucifixion I've seen so far - the wounds, mouth, his feet.. Horrible, but that's the idea. There's much more that could be said, but I'll summarize by saying I loved this and am glad I decided to move through all playlists rather than skipping to the beloved Baroque.

[@clumsydad7158]

this artwork is just bad-ass, 'nuff said

[@dagmarvandoren9364]

We learned that in school....deutsch....ich find es wunderschon......schon als kind. Liebe mein Heimatland...hoffte after the war the allied victor kids would learn about this. Too. Thanks for video

[@gaulandisteinverbrecherisc6259]

bester Kanal!!

[@smarthistoryvideos]

sehr geschätzt

[@perallimonera3250]

This has got to be one of my favourite paintings period. Actually, a few months ago I was told to do a presentation of a painting for philosophy class (we were studying aesthetics) and I chose it (unfortunately, I only had time to talk about the first panel). I have always enjoyed your videos since I discovered your channel a year ago but I wonder: Is there a way to contact you to recommend art pieces or museums for future videos? Because I know of some that (I think) you would like and have rarely been talked about.

[@smarthistoryvideos]

we try to read all the comments left so feel free to leave ideas here in YT. Do look at our website Smarthistory.org - we have much more content there.

[@perallimonera3250]

Both works are in the MNAC in Montjuïc, Barcelona. I would very greatly appreciate it if you made a video on them

[@smarthistoryvideos]

We love that museum, and hope to get back someday. Let us know which works.

[@perallimonera3250]

​@@smarthistoryvideos Sorry for that. I previously wrote a comment with the links to the works but KZbin deleted it for some reason. The works are "the martyrdom of saint Cucuphatus" and "Sant Candidus": the only works that are left of the mysterious painter Ayne Bru. The only thing that is known about the painter is that he received a great amount of money for both paintings. Strangely enough, Salvador Dalí became obsessed with the dog on the first painting and included it in two of his works.

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Thanks for resending. Amazing work. Hopefully we can get back to Barcelona. I would love to walk up the hill to the museum again. We focused on the Romanesque during our last visit; and it would be a treat to look at work from the 16th century.

[@georgerose714]

thank you so much! just one thing -- that little jazzy riff at the end is a bit dismissive. Seeming to encapsulate how moderns can elucidate and encapsulate history to perfection, take what you want and leave the rest, even with the message as perfectly extracted saying, no you can't do that. There's a deep schizophrenia built into the modern condition that only that story and that art can heal, but not if you just stare at it and appreciate the pill. Like any pill, you have to find a way to swallow it. .Thank you again for gathering and reconstituting all the ingredients of the pill for mass distribution, a giant step for all humankind!

[@monicacall7532]

Wow, so much to take in! Was Grünewald known as a mannerist painter, or was this an exception to his other paintings? FYI Cellists and viola da gambists (I’m both) have laughed about and also attempted the bizarre and backwards bow placement (backwards) on the angel and the bizarre bow hold by the angel and the Lucifer figure for centuries. The weird thing is that the angel playing the viola da bracchia (cousin to the violin) has it correct. Go figure. Without a doubt, the Christ on the cross is the most gruesome depiction of him that I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot! The resurrected Christ looks so much like a William Blake painting-until you see the the Roman soldiers. If you look carefully at the poor sufferer of ergotism he has only one finger left on his left hand which looks much like the ravages of leprosy. Finally, the carved foliage screen above St. Anthony is so exquisite! I don’t think that I have ever seen a rood screen carving or other type of Gothic screen carving that beautiful. In a way it reminds me of the west window of York Minster with its heart shaped tracery. Another fabulous video. Thanks!

[@smarthistoryvideos]

As it happens, we are preparing a video on the Chapter House at York Minster, but I also shot some photos of that lovely west window. It should be up on our Flickr page shortly: www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/

[@kentwang44]

Agreed on many points. The gothic architecture depicted in the altarpiece has a lovely imaginative character to it, as the painter was not constrained by the realities of gravity, construction cost, etc.

[@gaulandisteinverbrecherisc6259]

viola da braccio without h !!! Are U sure that you are playing it???

[@naturalcambion3747]

Very psychedelic.

[@p.w.harris9883]

If you look closely you can see motifs of ergotism, Psilocybe mushrooms, and fly agaric mushrooms in the central panel