The two female figures between the tiers symbolise the Law and the Gospel. The Law holds the tablets of the law and a whip, while the Gospel holds palm branches and a victory banner.
The altarpiece dates back to 1699, but we do not know who created it. The story goes that the artist was Dutch, but his name is unknown. The Norwegians who assisted with the woodcarving eventually took over the work, and it was Lars Sivertsen and his colleagues who completed the piece. It is likely the same man who also made the pulpit, which was added to the church the same year as the altarpiece.
The wealthy civil servant's widow, Karen Toller, donated 500 riksdaler for the altarpiece, which was adorned with her family's coat of arms.
The cathedral's original baroque interior consists of three masterpieces: the altarpiece, the pulpit, and the main organ facade. When the pulpit and altarpiece were installed in 1699, it marked the breakthrough of a new style era. These are the first examples of the so-called acanthus baroque in Norway, a style that would spread to large parts of the country. Acanthus is a genus of plants from the Mediterranean area, used in antiquity for decoration in religious contexts by both the Greeks and the Romans.