In this life-sized sculpture, the King, St Olav, is seated on an architecturally shaped throne with corner posts and a cushion on top, painted in ‘dual shading’. He wears a fastened, imitation-golden robe that falls to his ankles, and an opened red mantle lined with imitation fur. He has a young, bearded face and half-long…Continue reading 13 St. Olav from Dale
Category: Hellig Olav
24 Winged Altarpiece from Austevoll
This triptych from the medieval church of Austevoll on the island of Sandtorr, south of Bergen, is one of the best-preserved late Gothic altarpieces in Norway. Inside the central shrine are three chapel-like niches with richly traceried walls and intricate openwork baldachins that are filled with fully rounded, richly gilded sculptures. In the centre stands…Continue reading 24 Winged Altarpiece from Austevoll
4 Dossal Altarpiece from Austevoll
Besides shrines that can be closed with wings, there were also wingless, so-called ‘dossal altars’, that cannot be closed. The dossal, i.e., back panel, can nevertheless be understood as a motif that exalts the figure and distinguishes it in the church interior. The dossal altarpiece from Austevoll shows the holy King Olav, medieval Norway’s most…Continue reading 4 Dossal Altarpiece from Austevoll
8 Virgin and Child from Røldal
The Virgin and Child from Røldal stood inside a tabernacle shrine with scenes on the insides of the wings. One wing is preserved (see no. 3). The Madonna was probably situated on a Lady altar on the north side in the nave of the stave church, opposite from an altar with a sculpture of St…Continue reading 8 Virgin and Child from Røldal
9 St Olav from Røldal
The pendant to the Virgin from Røldal stave church was the holy King Olav, who probably occupied a side altar in the nave, where the community gathered for worship. The similar size, style and execution of both sculptures suggest that both were produced in the same workshop. The St Olav figure rests on a socle…Continue reading 9 St Olav from Røldal
10 Tabernacle Shrine from Granvin
All entirely preserved tabernacle shrines in Norway date from the late Middle Ages. Most feature painted representations on the insides of the wings instead of relief figures, as was common in older shrines. Late medieval shrines often carry painted figurations also on the outsides, whereas most older shrines were only painted in one or two…Continue reading 10 Tabernacle Shrine from Granvin