Grunewald

The Isenheim Altarpiece is an altarpiece painted by the German artist Matthias Grünewald in 1506-1515. It is on display at the Unterlinden Museum at Colmar, France. 

By far his greatest, as well as his largest work, it was painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Isenheim near Colmar, which specialized in hospital work. The Antonine monks of the monastery were noted for their treatment of sufferers of skin disease, such as ergotism, symptoms of which are displayed by figures including the crucified Christ in the altarpiece. Grunewald's work is from the start of the Northern Renaissance and still stands up as a brilliant painting and one of THE great religious artworks. 

Designed to be viewed by the patients from everywhere in the small chapel for sufferers of debilitating disease, the centrepiece was seen only when the hinged doors were opened. There are lesser known images, equally as strong and as brilliant in their depictions of the suffering and the triumphant Christ, which make up the other panels/doors to the altarpiece, but it is this image of a suffering and a very humane Christ for which Grunewald is known.