L'église protestante de Niedermodern et son retable

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The recent renovation of the church in Niedermodern is a fine example of the concerns of Protestantism at the dawn of the new millennium. A church open to the worlds of work, industry, and technology… Steel beams supporting spotlights…
The message is conveyed not only through the Word but is also brought to life through the visual arts. Reinhard Dassler, a contemporary painter from Karlsruhe, was commissioned by patron Nikolaus von Gayling to create an altarpiece for the village’s Protestant church. The washing of the feet (John 13) is the central scene of the triptych, relating to the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In a decidedly figurative-realist style, the event is brought to life and set in the world of the third millennium, while referencing Renaissance depictions. Connoisseurs will recognize local landscapes as well as well-known figures: the patron, pastors, parishioners…

Visit the interior of the Protestant church located in the center of town and see the remarkable triptych altarpiece installed on the back wall of the choir. Created in the “contemporary hyperrealist” style, this work of art by Reinhard Dassler was generously donated by Baron Nikolaus von Gayling to the parish of Niedermodern in December 2000.

Unveiled on December 17, 2000, the altarpiece consists of three parts set within a wooden frame. The work was created by Reinhardt Dassler, who spent nearly a year working on it in his studio in Karlsruhe.
This acquisition was initiated with the active support of Pastors Wolfgang Gross of Groer and Martin Wehrung. It was donated by Baron Nikolaus von Gayling, who lives at Ebnet Castle in Freiburg im Breisgau; his ancestors once owned half of the village.
The theme of the work is the washing of the feet, a reference to the Gospel according to Saint John. Christ’s washing of the disciples’ feet marks the first step on the path to the Passion.
The theme of the Eucharist is therefore strongly present in this painting. Note the persistent allusion to the elements of the Last Supper (bread and wine), as well as the explicit depiction of the breaking of bread in the medallion at the top (called a mandorla). There is thus a highly evocative dialogue between two elements—one Eucharistic and the other diaconal—namely, the Last Supper and the washing of the feet (John 13:1–15).

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