[1] The Freiburg altarpiece was crucial in boosting Baldung's career and gave him considerable financial success.

[3] The predella on the back of the altarpiece includes a portrait of the four patrons: Aegidius Haas, Sebastian von Blumenegg, Ulrich Wirtner, and Nikolaus Scheffer.

[5] The theme of the coronation is borrowed from the center panel of Dürer's Heller Altarpiece, which was lost in a fire in 1729.

[7] The Annunciation scene takes inspiration from Matthias Grünewald's adaptation, which is a part of his Isenheim Altarpiece.

[8] The emphasized emotionality of Baldung's "Head of a Fool" character on the back panel can also be compared to drawings by Grünewald.

[10] When closed, the altarpiece shows four scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Christ, and the Flight into Egypt.

[13] In the Visitation, the combination of colors and the serene expression on Mary's face makes it one of Baldung's most joyful paintings.

[14] The Flight into Egypt leans into Joseph's superior age, showing him on unsteady legs and offering a contrast to the youth of the Virgin Mary.

[18] While it was not created by the artist Giotto, his Crucifixion from the Scrovegni Chapel (c. 1304/1305) helped solidify Magdalene's position at the foot of the cross.

[18] Peeking out from behind the central cross is an image of a man with his mouth open, staring blankly forward.

The exaggerated expression of the figure intends to display the cruel, grotesque nature of those responsible for the events of the Crucifixion.

[21] While the Freiburg Altarpiece is often considered Baldung's masterpiece, his close association with the styles of his contemporaries drew criticism.

[22] Early twentieth-century scholars (including Curjel, Hugelshofer, and Pinder) found his work too eccentric or not serious enough for the subjects it showed.

[22] Fritz Baumgarten was particularly displeased with the lack of dignity, critiquing the angels for disrupting the "heavenly silence.