Master Pavol and his Altar

Find out about the tallest Gothic winged altar in the world!

The Basilica of St. James in Levoča features a unique work of art: the tallest late-Gothic winged altar in the world (18.62 metres tall). It was created by master-woodcarver Pavol of Levoča (born around 1460, died between 1537 – 1542), one of the few medieval artists working in this region who are known by name. He was commissioned to work on a new high altar sometime after 1500, probably at the bidding of local nobleman Ján Thurzo. Creating this altar required several years of preparation and wood-carving work, not only by Master Pavol himself but involving all the craftsmen in his workshop as well. The altar was completed in 1508; it was the largest in central Europe at that time, and its retable (the vertical altarpiece) remains to this day one of the greatest artworks of its kind in Europe north of the Alps.

This guide to Master Pavol and his high altar will familiarize you with the life of Master Pavol himself, the background to the creation of the famous Levoča altar and the atmosphere of the period in which this important religious artwork was made, and it also presents a detailed interpretation of the altar’s features. Another equally worthwhile part of the guide is its extraordinary pictorial content: a unique collection of photographs by world-famous Czech photographer Jan William Drnek.