An Altarpiece in 3D

This triptych depicts the legend of St George in comic-strip form, starting upper left: George rescuing the Libyan city of Silene from the dragon and baptising the population (pictures 1–3), his martyrdom with the initial attempts to execute him (pictures 4–7), and finally the superhero’s decapitation and burial (picture 8). Strangely the altarpiece lacks a centre. Another peculiarity is its repeated allusions to Christ’s Passion: George is crucified, and even his entombment recalls the New Testament. The solution to this riddle lies in the crucifix that once stood before the retable and was almost a part of the painting: Christ’s cross was the measure and guideline for the saint’s life.