The Temptation of St. Anthony (right wing of the Isenheim Altarpiece) 1515

Matthias Grünewald made this panel around 1512-1516, using oil paint on wood. Grünewald departs from traditional, idealized depictions, opting instead for a raw, emotional intensity in the work. Notice the unsettling nature of the figures, which stems from a unique handling of the oil paint. Grünewald employs layers to build up a complex surface, with great skill. However, he doesn’t try to blend away the traces of his labor. On the contrary, he embraces the texture and viscosity of the paint, using it to amplify the overall emotional impact. You can see it in the way that the figures seem to writhe on the surface, their forms distorted and grotesque. In focusing on the material presence of paint itself, and the social context of the work’s creation, we can appreciate how Grünewald pushed the boundaries of art. The piece invites viewers to reconsider what constitutes art, and where it can be found.