The Crucifixion with scenes of the Martyrdom of Saint Quirinus

The small surviving oeuvre of the Constance artist Peter Murer, known in older scholarship as the Master of the Werdenberg Annunciation, is one of the few 15th century artists active in the south-west of Germany that we are familiar with and by whom works have survived. Murer belonged to a family of artists, all of whom were active in the city of Constance in Swaben, a region connecting southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Murers must have played an active role in the cultural life of the thriving city, which shortly before had been host to the Council of Constance (1414-18).

This painting depicts the torture and crucifixion of Saint Quirinus. Although a Roman martyr, his relics were transferred to Neuss, Southern Germany, in the 11th century. The cult of the saint was spread throughout this region, and in Switzerland around the area of Lake Constance, where Murer was active. According to tradition, Quirinus was subjected to torture, including having his hands and feet cut off, before being killed and becoming a martyr. He was especially worshipped during outbreaks of plague.