Amazing Ancient Reptilian Painting

[kevin82]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Michael_Pacher_004.jpg

This was painted by Michael Pacher (c. 1435—August 1498) was an Austrian Tyrolean painter and sculptor active during the last quarter of the 15th century.

This painting is called ("Saint Wolfgang and the Devil") panel of Pacher's Kirchenväteraltar ("Fathers of the Church" altarpiece, c. 1483), on display at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The Wolfgang panel is on the outside right (i.e. on the back of the Augustine panel), and would have been only visible to church-goers when the altar was closed, i.e. when no service was being held.

Saint Wolfgang or Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg (c. 934 – October 31, 994) was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic church (canonized in 1052). He is regarded as one of the three great German saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich and Saint Conrad of Constance.

In Christian art he has been especially honoured by the great medieval Tyrolean painter, Michael Pacher (1430–1498), who created an imperishable memorial to him, the high altar of St. Wolfgang. In the panel pictures which are now exhibited in the Old Pinakothek at Munich are depicted in an artistic manner the chief events in the saint's life.

[chipstyxx]

Wow! I've never seen that before. No wonder the devil is such a nasty piece of work, he can't sit down :D
It reminds me of the paintings of Heironymous Bosch, very twisted and a good way of scaring the congregation into obedience. Interesting that the devil is so reptillian.

[miss_braindeath]

Oh man. This thing has hooves... like... something that's not Reptilian. Straaange. :rolleyes:

[j35p3r4d0]

reptillian?

what, because it's Green?

come one, you're gunna need to do a little better than that

[venividivici2311]

Pretty friendly reptillian then,he's even holding the bible for the dude....

[newworldengineer]

that green guy's got the angriest hemorrhoids :eek:

[newworldengineer]

reptillian?

what, because it's Green?

come one, you're gunna need to do a little better than that

well there's an on going debate to whether Reptillians were actually what the image of the devil was based on.

[kappy0405]

reptillian?

what, because it's Green?

come one, you're gunna need to do a little better than that
Does that creature look cold-blooded to you? I'd guess yes, therefore, it's a Reptilian..

Anyway, it looks like a slight corruption/inspiration of Pan.. Wasn't he depicted with hooves and horns and the like?

[merla]

Wow! I've never seen that before. No wonder the devil is such a nasty piece of work, he can't sit down :D
It reminds me of the paintings of Heironymous Bosch, very twisted and a good way of scaring the congregation into obedience. Interesting that the devil is so reptillian.


I thought of Bosch too, his stuff is so twisted and weird.

[2013]

The devil is most likely holding the book to indicate the church follows his way of thinking .It's based on his principles . Would be good to look into the artist a bit more see whats known about him .:D
At least the devil can sit on his own face:rolleyes:

[el jefe]

Anyone know the history on the piece? Seems he did a lot of religious paintings. Kinda hard to sit here and say the human mind couldnt come up with an image like that 500 years ago

[loopy2222]

Just goes to show you that the devil talks out of his arse :D

[merla]

Anyone know the history on the piece? Seems he did a lot of religious paintings. Kinda hard to sit here and say the human mind couldnt come up with an image like that 500 years ago


Good point, we're looking at this through modern eyes, I'm pretty sure there must be a story about the Saint meeting the devil that inspired this. I think I'm going to try and find it because I'm interested in what the book is for and why the devil is offering/showing it to him.

[trix]

It's got eyes on it's butt, IT SEES EVERYTHING!!!

Seriously that is hilarious. Good find for comedic value.

[crystal genesis]

ROFLLLLL eyes and mouth on his ass

[el jefe]

http://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/02/books/l-st-wolfgang-and-the-devil-019553.html

To the Editor:

In connection with a review of Jeffrey Burton Russell's book ''Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages'' (April 28), you printed a picture of St. Wolfgang and the Devil with the erroneous caption ''St. Wolfgang repels the Devil with a sign of the cross.'' Actually, St. Wolfgang here is compelling the Devil to hold the Gospel book for him and thus to share in the worship of God. The original painting is by Michael Pacher and is part of the magnificent 15th-century Altar of the Church Fathers, now in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. ROBERT KRAMER Bronx

Its called Wolfgang und der Teufel(Saint Wolfgang and the Devil). Teufel=Devil?

http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Saint_Wolfgang_Altarpiece

Michael Pacher's most famous work, the Altarpiece of St. Wolfgang is kept at the Church of St. Wolfgang on the Abersee in Austria. The altarpiece is a polyptych, or Wandelaltar, where a painting is often divided into four or more segments or panels. There are two pairs of movable wings, and three clearly different viewpoints for use on different circumstances; one for every day views, Sunday views, and then views for special holy days. Commissioned for Abbot Benedict Eck of Mondsee in 1471 and completed in 1481, the giant polyptych has two sets of wings that can be closed across the inner corpus with the sculptured Coronation presenting a majestic array of huge Gothic figures dominated by the beautifully kneeling Madonna. The carved and painted gold centerpiece is visible when the inner panels are open, and represent the Coronation of the Virgin. The outer two pairs of painted wings represent four scenes from of Saint Wolfgang. Wolfgang was appointed as bishop Benedictine of Ratisbon, where he established himself radiantly for his revolutionary passions and also for his skills as statesman. The entire altarpiece is overshadowed by an elaborate wooden structure that is placed on top, enclosing the Crucifixion. In the centerpiece Christ is sitting on a throne sincerely blessing Mary, whom he has crowned as the Queen of Heaven. In keeping with the traditions of German Gothic art, angels are fluttering around while John the Evangelist looks on. The inner faces of the second panels, on both sides of the carved body, are painted with scenes from the life of the Virgin.

Keeping the size of the project in mind, it is believed that Pacher was not the only artist who has contributed to the altarpiece. It is supposed that his own brother Friedrich Pacher, painted the outer pieces of work depicting scenes from the life of Saint Wolfgang that are visible only when the altarpiece is closed shut. Nevertheless, the inner paintings all seem to have been completed by Michael Pacher himself.
Wolfgang und der Teufel ("Saint Wolfgang and the Devil") panel of Pacher's Kirchenväteraltar ("Fathers of the Church" altarpiece, c. 1483), on display at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
The Wolfgang panel is on the outside right (i.e. on the back of the Augustine panel), and would have been only visible to church-goers when the altar was closed, i.e. when no service was being held.

[el jefe]

Which Bible was being used during these times? The idea of the Devil holding a Bible, let alone a famous painting, makes me cringe

[camreeno]

It's most likely a reptilian reference. If you think about it that's the only real possibility. Given someone of that stature who had connections with the Church says enough, really. I doubt someone with that potential to know about the reptilians would have just gone on a whim and painted a reptilian-looking creature.

[merla]

It's most likely a reptilian reference. If you think about it that's the only real possibility. Given someone of that stature who had connections with the Church says enough, really. I doubt someone with that potential to know about the reptilians would have just gone on a whim and painted a reptilian-looking creature.

That's a bit of a leap in logic, the guy was painting the devil, they could have simply imagined something as grotesque as possible, how many references to reptilians with faces on their arses are there?

Not every religious painting has to have some hidden agenda/knowledge, sometimes those beams of light are just halos or representations of heaven/god. Sometimes those gross looking creatures are just demons and devils. If all these paintings that are supposed to have secrets in them really did then they must have been the worst kept ones of all time for all those different artists to be in on them.

Don't forget that you are looking at these things with modern eyes through conspiracy tinted glasses. I'm not saying that there are no hidden things in paintings but can we please get a bit of discernment and prespective on it?

[deuce mcallister]

St. Wolfpack is holding up two fingers. Is this 11:11 !!:!!? Or does he just want Devil Reptile to smell the altar boy?