The retable was created in Antwerp around 1510, while the predella was made 50 years earlier in Gdańsk as part of a lost altar. The polyptych consists of a carved body and six wings painted on both sides.
This altarpiece was commissioned by the guild of Gdańsk butchers for the St. Mary's Church, where it is still located.
Conservation of the altar called from the predella The Altar of St. Adrian was carried out in 2022.
The altar has typical features of Dutch Mannerism characteristic of Antwerp retables, which at the beginning of the 16th century were almost industrially produced in the city.
The conservation works were preceded by historical and technological research. Architecture and figures were carved in oak wood. The scenes were composed of two carved wood blocks.
The results of the dendrochronological examination do not contradict the usually suggested datings.
The polychrome of the sculptures is characterized by a thin chalk and glue ground layer.
The layer is richly decorated with punching and relief ornaments. The painting layer is emulsion, gilding is done on a yellow and red bolus, painted and decorated with the sgraffito technique.
The drawing on painting from the predella was applied with a firm, soft line, using black paint. The shadows were marked with crosshatching at an angle of 45o and semicircular in places. Original changes were introduced (pentimenti).
In the paintings placed on the wings of the altar as well as in the predella arsenic yellow is used to achieve certain golden effects.
Non-original varnish from the surface of the paintings was removed using methoxypropanol and isopropanol.
The missing parts have been carved in seasoned oak, in selected pieces of wood, with grains on edge. In the most weakened places - mainly the leaves from the openwork frame of the lower quarters and at the top of the altar, epoxy mass reinforced with steel wire was also used.
The gilding dominating in the body of the altar was supplemented with gold powder, integrating, within the gap.
Due to the sensitivity of the bolus and gilding, Aquazol 500 was used as the retouching binder.
The object was secured with regalrez 1094 aliphatic resin in white spirit with the addition of microcrystalline wax (1%) and Tinuvin 292 (2%). Varnish was applied in two layers with an airbrush.
