Bingen Altar
The Bingen Altar is a late Gothic winged altar from the Ulm School in the parish church “Mariä Himmelfahrt” in Bingen / Hohenzollern , Sigmaringen district. The painted pictures show scenes from the life of Mary . The carved figures symbolize the history of salvation.
history
The Zwiefalten monastery, as the owner of the patronage rights, initiated the construction of the new church in Bingen around 1500. A retable was ordered from the then important altar builder Jörg Syrlin the Younger from Ulm for the elaborate choir, which was vaulted with net ribs . The carved figures come from Niklaus Weckmann's workshop , the painted panel paintings from Bartholomäus Zeitblom , both well-known artists from the Ulm School . The creation of the altar is dated to 1503–1505. When the patronage rights were transferred to the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen , the altar was dismantled and the church was given a baroque style. In 1884 a neo-Gothic shrine was built that brought the five Weckmann figures back into the choir. Multiple restorations of the Zeitblom paintings have survived. In 1845 the panels were split. The back of the left panel (“Birth of Christ”) was lost, that of the right (“Adoration of the Wise Men”) is now available as a side altarpiece. Since 1966 there has been a new altar shrine based on the Gothic model, designed by the sculptor Franz Lorch from Munich.
Description and meaning
The Weckmann sculptures
The five almost life-size shrine figures by Niklaus Weckmann show Mary with the child, the apostles Peter and Paul, John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene.
The Madonna
Art critics see the Bingen Madonna (164 cm high) as one of the great masterpieces of late Gothic sculpture. Mary presents her child, the incarnate Son of God, to the viewer. With the slightly S-shaped curved body, the time of the “ Beautiful Madonnas ” echoes in it. The position of your head and facial expression show self-confidence, but at the same time withdraw. The Christ child on her arm is in the foreground. The naked child in the hands of its mother faces the believers head-on. In its left hand it holds the golden globe, a symbol of its power. The fingers of the right hand are still somewhat clumsy in forming the gesture of blessing.
The apostles Peter and Paul
In 1911, Julius Baum recognized the figures of the apostles Peter and Paul as being “excellent quality” and “the first life-size full statues ... of almost perfect beauty”. The attribute of Peter is the key, of Paul the sword. The golden cap of Peter recalls a chasuble, the vestment of a priest. With his mouth open to speak and the lowered eyelids as well as the book in his right hand, Peter appears in the posture of a teacher, as it were as the embodiment of the " chair of Peter ".
The appearance of Paul corresponds to the traditional imagery: high forehead, remnants of a fringe of hair and a flowing beard that reaches down to his chest. Ernst lies on his face, the lips are tightly closed. The pits in the cheeks indicate deprivation and abuse. Book and sword tell of his life and death.
John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene
In the sculpture John the Baptist there is "a new invention of images within the workshop". In fact, the figure has to be rated as an outstanding masterpiece. The bearded face is framed by thick shoulder-length hair, curly tufts of hair fall on the forehead. The worked out facial muscles emerge expressively. His form of life as an ascetic becomes clear. The lamb rests on a book on the left hand. With his right hand, John points to the lamb or the Christ child in the middle of the altar. “See the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” ( Jn 1:29 EU ). The figure of Johannes Bingen is carved with a great feel for the anatomy of the human body. The hand with the extended index finger is reproduced with the greatest care. Veins, muscles and the nail bed reveal the true master. Mary Magdalene wears a long robe that rises up in wavy folds on the floor. A golden cloak is thrown over his shoulder. The paths of the material point like arrows to the ointment jar in your hand or swing back from there to the earth. The opened jar is reminiscent of the anointing in the Pharisee's house and indicates the lavish love with which she met Jesus.
The Zeitblom paintings
Birth of christ
The birth of Christ takes place at Bartholomäus Zeitblom's in an architectural ruin. In the upper left corner the angel announces the good news to the shepherds: Today the Savior is born to you ( Lk 2,11 EU ). At the bottom right the newborn child lies naked on the ground. Ox and donkey bend over the child. The Virgin Mary kneels in front of the child with folded hands and closed eyes. Josef enters the room with a burning candle. Two shepherds leaned against the wall from outside. A choir of angels triumphs above. The head of Mary, which is surrounded by a golden nimbus, is covered by a white cloth. Strong, blonde strands of hair fall over the shoulders. The gold brocade robe of a queen emerges from under the cloak that opens. Above this, Maria wears an (originally) blue coat that spreads over a large area. As Mother of God, she is already “covered” by the grace of God. The optical counterpart is the figure of Josef. Joseph wears a scapular, as wore many monastic orders in the Middle Ages. Red and purple as the colors of the kings' clothes indicate Joseph's descent from the royal house of David. The little flame of the candle, which he protects with his hand, symbolizes the delicate light of life of the newborn. In the oval halo, the child rests on a corner of his mother's wide coat on the bare ground. The white cloth under his head is reminiscent of the linen cloth that serves as a base for the chalice and host bowl at Holy Mass, in this sense as a base for the body of Christ (size of the table: 238 × 145 cm).
Adoration of the Magi
Zeitblom uses the same background for the panel “Adoration of the Magi” that is used here for the audience hall. Mary presents her son as if on a throne. An elderly king in a fur-lined cloak kneels before the two of them. Behind it stand a middle and a younger king and talk. In the background you can see the caravans moving. The act of homage by the three wise men is staged as a world event. A panorama forms the background of the giant picture (238 × 145 cm). The caravans and horsemen come from all three inhabited regions of the world to honor the newborn king. The representative of the old world has taken off his hat and is still kneeling in front of the new king in traveling clothes and with folded hands. His gift is gold, which has long been considered the image of the "immortal Logos". There is no pictorial tradition for the child to touch or play with the gold pieces. The two following kings have already taken off their traveling clothes and present themselves in their festive robes. The green-clad person opens their can so that the fragrance of the incense can flow out. The gift of the dark-skinned king is myrrh. It already indicates the death of Jesus.
Pictures of the back
The back of the wings originally had two paintings that were divided across. The "Presentation of Jesus in the Temple" and "Mary's Death" have been preserved. Forty days after the birth, the mother brings her firstborn son to Jerusalem to consecrate him to the Lord ( Lk 2,22-25 EU ). Zeitblom divides the picture into three vertical areas. On the left, Maria hands the child over to the aged Simeon. The relatives crowd in the middle and a prophet looks out of his house on the right. The "Death of Mary" closes the four-part cycle of Mary. It is striking that the dying person is not the focus. She is supported by two apostles while the others gather around an open book (Bible?) Praying. Again on the right edge of the picture a prophet with an (unwritten) scroll.
Predella
The predella with the " Vera Ikon " or the "true face" of Christ is also a masterpiece of Zeitblom. Two angels hold a cloth picture with the head of Christ in both hands. It wears a crown of thorns and rivulets of blood cover the forehead and cheeks (60 × 180 cm).
literature
- Wolfgang Urban: Worthy of a cathedral. The masterpiece of the Bingen Altarpiece. Finkverlag Lindenberg i. Allgäu, 2018, ISBN 978-3-95976-111-6
- Dietlinde Bosch: Bartholomäus Zeitblom. The artistic work (research on the history of the city of Ulm). Ulm City Archives, 1999, ISBN 3-17-016383-3
- Exhibition catalog Stuttgart 1993: Masterpieces en masse. The sculpture workshop of Niklaus Weckmann and the painting in Ulm around 1500. Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart, 1993, ISBN 3-929055-25-2
- Walther Genzmer (Hg): The art monuments of Hohenzollern (vol. 2: Sigmaringen district). Spemann Verlag Stuttgart 1948, pages 81-93
- Julius Baum: The Ulm sculpture around 1500. Stuttgart, 1911
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Baum, p. 58
- ↑ Exhib. Cat. 1993, p. 457
- ↑ Wolfgang Urban (conservator) : "Worthy of a cathedral."