"Gildeskål hovedkirke" (4 of 5)
Description
The Baroque altarpiece is from 1713 and was moved here from the old church. The carved and painted figures and the acanthus ornamentation were executed by the sculptor Georg Christoffer Schauer. He served as an apprentice in Christiania
where the acanthus style was first introduced in Norway, with the pulpit and altarpiece in Vår Frelsers Church (Our Saviour's) in 1699.
On the main panel of the altar there is a crucifix. Large female figures flank each side of the panel. One figure holds a cross, book and a quill pen, while the other holds a dove and an anchor. They represent the virtues Faith and Hope, which are also the symbols of Christ. Located above on the gable-shaped pediment is a figure of Christ the Victor - Christ the Believer. This figure is flanked by two reclining female figures. The altar panel was painted by Gottfried Ezekiel in 1754. He also painted the interior of the old Gildeskål church. Eventually it was repainted in 1902 by Henrik Backer.
On the main panel of the altar there is a crucifix. Large female figures flank each side of the panel. One figure holds a cross, book and a quill pen, while the other holds a dove and an anchor. They represent the virtues Faith and Hope, which are also the symbols of Christ. Located above on the gable-shaped pediment is a figure of Christ the Victor - Christ the Believer. This figure is flanked by two reclining female figures. The altar panel was painted by Gottfried Ezekiel in 1754. He also painted the interior of the old Gildeskål church. Eventually it was repainted in 1902 by Henrik Backer.
