The high altar’s reverse (Hans Baldung Grien, 1512–16) can be seen from the ambulatory.
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The Reverse of the High Altar
The high altar’s reverse (Hans Baldung Grien, 1512–16) can be seen from the ambulatory.
The central panel
On the central panel, the crosses with Christ and the two thieves on Golgotha rise up from among a dense throng of people before a sombre sky. Distraught Mary Magdalene has her arms wrapped around the base of the cross, while to the left of her, John the Apostle braces the grief-stricken Mother of God.
The Altar wings
Underneath painted vines, the left wing depicts St Jerome accompanied by the lion (patron saint of the university) and John the Baptist with the lamb. On the right wing, St Lawrence, the patron saint of the Minster caretakers, is depicted alongside St George as a knight, the patron saint of the city of Freiburg.
The predella
Beneath them, on the predella, three Minster caretakers, including Blumeneck, and the head of the Minster Masons’ Guild (cathedral workshop) show their reverence to the Madonna.
Who is the man with the red beret?
In the crowd on the right-hand side, the Strasbourg (France, today) painter Hans Baldung Grien, has left behind a self-portrait: wearing a red beret on his head, he seeks the gaze of the viewer and confidently steps out of the shadow of ano- nymity. This illustrates a self-assured and headstrong artist.