The trinity and mystic pietà

Although many of the works I've selected are contemporary, I feel drawn to highlight fine paintings throughout the course of history.

Although his works may appear to be classically homogenous, in the early 16th centuary his works were widely regarded as a means to tempt people towards sin and the devil. Depictions of satan, witches described as 'seductive ', and the 'hidden female powers' led a, late medieval society staunchly agaist him.

However, in opposition to my German Middle Ages counterparts, I often enjoy works which subvert the status quo, and this feels to me like a small beginning of the avant-garde we all know and love today. Whilst beautifully contoured folds and the highly sculpted figures are fascinating up close, when I first saw it in the National Gallery it was the intensity of the hues that first drew me to the scene.

I would argue that this painting sits among the most pivotal works of art of this period, not only for Baldung Grien's career but for the development of the wider Renaissance in Central Europe as a whole.