Tilman Riemenschneider | |
|---|---|
_Selbstportrait_von_Tilman_Riemenschneider.04.jpg) Supposed self-portrait of Tilman Riemenschneider | |
| Born | c. 1460 Heiligenstadt im Eichsfeld, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | (1531-07-07)7 July 1531 Würzburg, Holy Roman Empire |
| Occupation | sculptor |
| Years active | c. 1473 until 1527 |
| Known for | limewood altarpieces |
Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a Germanwoodcarver and sculptor active inWürzburg from 1483. A master inlimewood and stone, he was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between theLate Gothic, to which he essentially belonged, andNorthern Renaissance art. He was also a local politician in the council of Würzburg.
Most of his subjects are religious, including several very large and spectacular carved woodaltarpieces, as well as tombs in stone, and statues. He was largely forgotten soon after his death, but rediscovered by art historians in the 19th century.
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Tilman Riemenschneider was born around the year 1460 atHeiligenstadt im Eichsfeld in present-dayThuringia.[1]: 2
When Riemenschneider was about five years old, his father was involved in a violent political conflict, theMainzer Stiftsfehde [de], so the family had to leave Heiligenstadt and all their possessions. They resettled inOsterode, where his father became Master of the Mint (a good position at that time) and where Riemenschneider spent his childhood years.
Riemenschneider likely came to Würzburg for the first time at the age of 18 in 1478/79.[1]: 2 His uncle served as notary and financial advisor to the bishop there, but he did not stay for long. Around 1473, Riemenschneider learned the trade of sculpting and woodcarving, likely inSwabia or theUpper Rhine — possibly inStrasbourg and/orUlm. At that time, the statutes of the guild required that an apprentice travel to many different workshops to gain experience. Very little is known about this period of his life, but he likely came in contact with the work ofMartin Schongauer, whose copper engravings served him later as examples.
In 1483, he settled in Würzburg.[1]: 2 On 7 December 1483, he joined the Saint Luke's Guild of painters, sculptors, and glass workers as a painter's assistant. On 28 February 1485, he married Anna Schmidt (born Uchenhofer), a widow of a master goldsmith with three sons. This marriage not only brought him property, but it also meant that he could end his apprenticeship and become a master craftsman.
Also in 1485, Riemenschneider became a citizen of Würzburg, which made it possible to attain the status of master craftsman, and opened a workshop in Franziskanergasse, in the home of his wife.[1]: 2
His earliest confirmed work is the gravestone of Eberhard von Grumbach in the parish church (Pfarrkirche) atRimpar. This may be the type of work he started out with before obtaining large church commissions. He then received numerous orders from the town councils of Würzburg and neighboring towns. The earliest large work attributed to him is theFranziskusaltar in the church of St James (Sankt Jakob) inRothenburg ob der Tauber, which is described in the church guide book as "about 1490", but its style compared to other works of that date is rather primitive, suggesting it may be an earlier work, sometimes dated from 1485.[2] In 1490, the town council ofMünnerstadt ordered anretable for the altar ofSt Mary Magdalene, the parish church, which included a carving ofMary Magdalene with six angels. It was set up in 1492. In 1491, the town council of Würzburg ordered two life-sized stone figures ofAdam andEve for the south portal of the council's church, theMarienkapelle (erected in 1493).[1]: 2
In 1494, Riemenschneider's first wife died, leaving him with three stepsons and a daughter. In keeping with the times and his status, he remarried Anna Rappolt in 1497.[1]: 2 They had two daughters and three sons, all of whom seem to have inherited their father's artistic talent. In 1495, he created a statue ofVirgin and Child for the parrish church of St Bernard, Würzburg).
More high-profile work followed: In 1496 Riemenschneider received the commission by Prince-Bishop atWürzburg CathedralLorenz von Bibra to carve theepitaph for his predecessorRudolf von Scherenberg. It was erected in 1499, the same year he got the commission for the Imperial tomb ofHenry II and his wifeCunigunde of Luxembourg atBamberg Cathedral (delivered 1513).[1]: 2
By 1500, he had developed an outstanding reputation as an artist and had become a wealthy Würzburg citizen. Not only did he own a number of houses, but he also was a landowner with his own vineyards. His flourishing workshop is estimated to have provided work for as many as 40 employees.[3] Between 1501 and 1517 he had twelve apprentices registered, more than any other in Würzburg, and in 1508 he stated three stone sculptors would work for him. For that timespan alone at least a dozen retables are known to have been made by Riemenschneider's workshop.[4]
In November 1504, Riemenschneider became a member of the sub-council (Unterrat) of the town of Würzburg, an office he held until 1525.[1]: 3 This office not only brought him social status, but it also helped him obtain many large and profitable commissions.
In 1508, Riemenschneider married Margaretha Wurzbach. From 1509 until 1522 he was a member of theOberrat four times. He married again, in 1520, a woman of whom only the first name, Margarethe, is known. In 1520/1, Riemenschneider was one of two mayors of Würzburg.[1]: 3 [5]: 28
His increasing engagement in local politics at a time of heavy order volume meant that his employees and apprentices took a more prominent role in the creation of the workshop's output. Art historians have been able to identify specific figures as the work of individual workers.[1]: 11–12
During theGerman Peasants' War, Riemenschneider was one of the town council members who refused to obey an order byKonrad von Thüngen, thePrince-Bishop of Würzburg to fight the revolting peasants.[1]: 23 On 4 June 1525, the peasant's army was destroyed, with 8,000 killed, just outside Würzburg by the troops of Georg, Steward of Waldburg-Zeil, and the bishop. After the town surrendered, the full town council, including Riemenschneider, was incarcerated and tortured in theMarienberg Fortress. The claim that both of his hands were broken during the torture, which ended his artistic career, is today considered to be a legend without base in fact.[1]: 24 It probably only originated in the 19th century after his "rediscovery".[5]: 24 Together with the rest of the council, Tilman was set free after two months, with loss of most of his property. The only order he is known to have received after this was work in 1527 for a Benedictine nunnery at Kitzingen.[1]: 4, 23 Until his death on 7 July 1531 at Würzburg, he led a retired life with his fourth wife. His son Jörg from his second marriage continued the workshop after his death.
Due to his loss of status, Riemenschneider was soon forgotten as an artist, other than for the two epitaphs of BishopsRudolf von Scherenberg andLorenz von Bibra side by side inWürzburg Cathedral. Only when his gravestone was discovered in 1822 between Würzburg Cathedral and Neumünster was his outstanding position in Gothic sculpture recognized by a wider audience. UnlikeAlbrecht Dürer orVeit Stoss, Riemenschneider acquired true fame only posthumously.[5]: 28
The sculptures and woodcarvings of Tilman Riemenschneider are in the lateGothic style. Notably the tomb for Lorenz von Bibra (see below) is considered as one of the pieces marking the transition from Gothic to Renaissance art. Riemenschneider's early success as a sculptor was due to the plasticity of his works, with great care being taken of modeling the folds of garments. This way of sculpting the clothing as well as the typical oval faces and almond-shaped eyes were modelled on art from theUpper Rhine region of the 1470s, implying that Riemenschneider may have learned his trade either there or atUlm. Other traits of his style derive from his presumed apprenticeship inThuringia, where he grew up.[6] It is assumed he learned stone andalabaster carving first and only later turned to wood carving. Some wooden figures, though unmistakably his own work, show some signs of less-than-perfect choice of wood or handling.[1]: 17–18
His work is equally characterized by the expressiveness of the figurines' faces (often shown with an inward look, as in the presumed self-portrait). The emphasis on expression of inner emotions sets Riemenschneider's work apart from that of his immediate predecessors, although his later work showmannerist characteristics, simplified forms with less volume that were easier to dublicate, and may be also a sign of restraint due to the upcomingiconoclasm.[1]: 7–8
Riemenschneider is seen today as one of the first sculptors of the 15th century who did not have all his figures painted. Prior to the 1490s, almost every sculpture had been polychromed andgilded, usually by a painter (so-calledFassmaler), which hightend the liveliness of the figures and attracted more admiration than the sculptural work itself. Curiously, Riemenschneider didn't employ any painters like other sculptor's workshops. Instead he worked regularly with painters who had their own business, like Jakob Mülholzer (cooperation verifiable from 1490/91–1514/15) und Martin Schwarz (lived c. 1460–1511).[7] The reasons for shifting to a new type of art, where the wood remained visible, are still debated by art historians.[1]: 15
Souren Melikian places Riemenschneider's best work, such as theVirgin listening to the Annunciation, in the same league as the oil paintings ofAlbrecht Dürer.Ref? Art historianKenneth Clark views the Riemenschneider figures as showing the serious personal piety in Germany in the late fifteenth century and as harbingers of the comingReformation.Ref? Among his successors and/or pupils –beside his sons– werePeter Breuer [de] and Philipp Koch.
Since his rediscovery in the 19th century countless sculptural works from the region were attributed to him. The largest collection of his work, 81 pieces, can be found in theMainfränkisches Museum (Marienberg Fortress) in Würzburg, including most stone sculptures from the city's churches.
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The character Goldmund in the 1930 bookNarcissus and Goldmund byHermann Hesse serves as an apprentice with a master sculptor who is socially prominent in the town where he worked and whose character appears to be loosely based on that of Riemenschneider. He serves both as an artistic inspiration for Goldmund and as a foil for the less restrained temperament of Goldmund. Hesse describes Riemenschneider's statue of Mary with child which resides in the Pfarrkirche St Burkard in Würzburg as:"Dreamily she gazes out from her glass case, far away from our world... in her gracefulness and distinction she is refined to a degree of perfection far above that of mankind today."
The plot ofElizabeth Peters's first Vicky Bliss mystery novel,Borrower of the Night (1973) centers around the search for a missing Riemenschneider sculpture. Most of the action takes place inRothenburg ob der Tauber.
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