| The centre of the altarpiece commissioned by Abbot Wolfgang Oertl (1495-1508) for his private chapel at Zwettl. Carved figures are of the Virgin in the centre sitting on a throne with the Child, Bernard standing on the left carrying a crozier with sudarium attached and looking down on an open book which he holds in his hands, and St Benedict standing on the right with a crozier with sudarium in his right hand and in his left hand a closed book upon which are a beaker and a snake, the traditional attributes by which he can be identified and distinguished from Bernard as both their habits, as well as the dress of the Virgin, are gilt. The seated Virgin has a scepter in her right hand, with the left hand she supports the standing Child who holds a bunch of grapes in his left hand from which he offers a couple to his Mother with his right hand. The figures are all below an elaborately carved canopy. The four small figures on the two sides are modern. The two wings by Joerg Breu are painted on both sides with two panels illustrating scenes from the life of Bernard on each side, altogether eight panels (see PA038-045).
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