Which artist is associated with the Isenheim Altarpiece?

• A. Albrecht Dürer
• B. Norbert de Bruyères
• C. Matthias Grünewald
• D. Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Answer: (C)

Matthias Grünewald is the artist behind the Isenheim Altarpiece. He painted it in the early 1500s for the Monastery of St. Anthony at Isenheim, intended for a hospital chapel. The work is a multi-panel polyptych that could be opened to reveal different scenes, with the central panel depicting the Crucifixion and surrounding panels exploring themes of suffering, healing, and salvation. Grünewald’s intensely emotional style—dramatic figures, stark contrasts, and a raw sense of suffering—gives the altarpiece its unforgettable impact. This distinguishes him from Albrecht Dürer, known for his precise prints and paintings; Pieter Bruegel the Elder, renowned for genre scenes and landscapes; and Norbert de Bruyères, who is not linked to this work.