![Kalannin kaappi]( "Kalannin kaappi")
Click image to see articaft details
Kalanti altarpiece
The Kalanti altarpiece consists of the central panel and double doors on both sides. The central panel and the insides of the inner doors have relief sculptures depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. The panel paintings on the doors depict the martyrdom story of Saint Barbara. They were painted by a painter known as Master Francke, who carried out the painting work in Hamburg in the 1430s. The workshop that did the sculpture work is unknown.
No records have been preserved of ordering the altarpiece or transporting it to Finland. It was probably ordered for the Kalanti Church shortly after the completion of the building in the 1430s. The documents in the church archives described it as old-fashioned in the late 18th century, but the altarpiece was valuable for the parishioners. An exceptionally large number of folk stories about it have been preserved in the area.
The altarpiece was purchased from the Kalanti/Uusikirkko parish for the National Museum’s collections in 1903. The sculpture and painting parts were separated in the 1920s, as the panel paintings were sent to Germany for conservation. Since then, the parts of the altarpiece have been separated from each other, and the doors with sculptures of Virgin Mary now have modern backgrounds.
The altarpiece is made of oak. The panel paintings on the doors were painted with oil paint, the middle part shows a later coating. The altarpiece is approximately 200 cm high and 260 cm wide when opened.
H4329:6
Text and video manuscipt: Docent Elina Räsänen
Photos: Soile Tirilä
![Barbara 1]( "Barbara 1")
The panel paintings on the doors depict the martyrdom story of Saint Barbara. In the absence of her father Dioscurus, Saint Barbara has three windows put in a tower under construction to depict the Holy Trinity of Christianity. When the father returns home, Barbara explains her conversion to him.
![Barbara 2]( "Barbara 2")
The father gets furious and Barbara flees. The wall opens in front of her and closes behind her.
![Barbara 3]( "Barbara 3")
The pursuers, the father first, meet two shepherds. The other shepherd reveals where Saint Barbara has gone and, as his punishment, his sheep would turn into locusts.
![Barbara 4]( "Barbara 4")
The father captures Saint Barbara and locks her up in a dungeon.
![Barbara 5]( "Barbara 5")
Judge Marcianus questions Saint Barbara.
![Barbara 6]( "Barbara 6")
Saint Barbara is tortured and pressured to give up her faith.
![Barbara 8]( "Barbara 8")
The father beheads Saint Barbara.
![Kalannin kaappi keskiosa]( "Kalannin kaappi keskiosa")
The central panel and the insides of the inner doors have relief sculptures depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. On the top left is the birth of Jesus (the figure depicting the Infant Jesus has disappeared) and at the bottom is the circumcision of Jesus. The middle shows the Virgin Mary’s death and heavenly coronation. On the top right is a miracle performed by the Virgin Mary after her death. According to legend, Jews tried to overthrow the coffin of the Virgin Mary, but later converted to Christianity. At the bottom is another miracle performed by the Virgin Mary after her death. According to legend, the Virgin Mary recovered Theophilus’s pact with the devil. Theophilus has kneeled to praise, and the devil gives the pact to the Virgin Mary.
![Barbara pienosmalli 2]( "Barbara pienosmalli 2")
A scale model of the Kalanti altarpiece shows its original structure. The original altarpiece was broken into pieces in the 1920s in connection with the conservation of panel paintings.
Digital collection
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