The Altarpiece of the Church of Luemschwiller

This altarpiece, attributed to Hans Baldung Grien and dated around the late 15th century (circa 1490), is a major testament to German Renaissance religious painting. It is believed to have originally belonged to the Saint Alban convent near Basel before being transferred to the Enschingen priory in the commune of Saint Bernard during the Reformation. Its arrival in Luemschwiller in 1660 remains uncertain, as a recently discovered 1690 church inventory does not mention it (a study is ongoing).

The altarpiece was first restored in 1914 for its sculptures by the Klem workshops in Colmar, and underwent a more significant intervention in 1954. During a retrospective exhibition in Paris on Rhenish paintings of that era, the polychrome decorations were cleaned and stabilized by the Louvre Museum.

Considered an essential work in the history and dissemination of this art, it holds a prestigious place among the witnesses of German Renaissance painting. Unique in its kind, it is the only altarpiece preserved intact with its original furniture.

Since June 15, 1967, this altarpiece has been classified as a historic monument.