An Interesting Collection of Art

The renowned Unterlinden Museum in Colmar is in a 13th Century convent, and has been extended into public baths that were built in 1906.  After paying to enter, you then go into the cloister.  It's not as impressive as cloisters in Portugal or Spain, but there is no such thing as a bad cloister (unless there is, and send me any nominations you have).

The prize of the collection is the Isenheim Altarpiece, which is in the chapel, constructed from 1262 to 1269.  The Altarpiece, done by famed German Renaissance painter Matthais Grunewald (yeah, I've never heard of him either), is quite striking.  Painted from 1512-1516, here's more on it from Wikipedia:

It is Grünewald's largest work, and is regarded as his masterpiece. It was painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Issenheim near Colmar, which specialized in hospital work. The Antonine monks of the monastery were noted for their care of plague sufferers as well as their treatment of skin diseases, such as ergotism. The image of the crucified Christ is pitted with plague-type sores, showing patients that Jesus understood and shared their afflictions. The veracity of the work's depictions of medical conditions was unusual in the history of European art.

The altarpiece in the chapel.

Bottom right of the altarpiece

Left flank of the altarpiece

There was lots of other interesting art, including a Monet.  The Picasso was out on loan, sort of like a European soccer team will loan player to another team in another country.  

(Editor's Note: Is this some grand "soccer is art" analogy?  Are you channeling Ted Lasso?

Writer: No.  And no, but I do highly recommend the show to the five people who haven't watched it.)

Here's some other pictures of some of the art that struck me as interesting:

If you don't remember what happened to John

the Baptist, now you have been reminded.

The devil going in?  The devil

escaping? From a distance I first

thought she was throwing up

because of John the Baptist,

but closer examination leads

me to believe it's the devil.

Different painting but the

donkey is NOT impressed.

Rainbow angel wings.

Anyhow, we walked through miles of corridors, mostly below ground, until I got that slightly stupefying feeling that I had spent too long in an art museum.  That feeling is, of course, compounded by wearing a mask and breathing in my own recycled air.  Oh, I can do it for a bit, but after a while the stale air is too much.  So we emerged and walked to lunch.