Chronos and the mourner

The sandstone sculpture Chronos and the Mourners or Chronos and Lamenting Woman is one of the most important monuments in Radebeul, Saxony . It stands in the churchyard of the Friedenskirche on the Anger von Altkötzschenbroda . The classification based on historical preservation findings indicates the 17th or 18th century, probably the beginning of the 18th century. The monument is 1.80 meters high and 1.45 meters wide without a base and is made of Cotta sandstone .

Monument to Chronos and the mourners in the churchyard of the Friedenskirche

description

“ Chronos , personification of time, but also covered with other images, is shown here as an old man with wings. He was probably carrying a scythe or an hourglass so that one might associate him with death or with the Lord of the Realms of the Blessed. His strongly moved, muscular figure is dressed in a wrinkled hip scarf that falls from above. With the index finger of his right hand, he points down to an earthen bowl, which is also a symbol of the transience of our existence on earth. The head, enclosed with a curly beard, is directed towards the light. The eyes appear to be closed or are blinded by the light, the light that could symbolize the glory of God.

In contrast to the man's powerful upward movement, the woman shows deep sadness through her expression and movements. She covers her hair with a long veil that falls over her arms and shoulders and covers her eyes with a sheet of tears as a sign of sadness. In her left hand she holds a torch pointing downwards, which symbolizes the darkness.

Both figures turn slightly towards each other. Without touching, they seem to be deeply connected to one another through their opposites. "

history

Chronos from the monument Chronos and the mourners , on the right the grave slab of Prescher, 1900

The mourners from the Chronos monument and the mourners , Prescher's grave slab on the left, 1900

The tomb belonged to a previously unexplored family or person in the vicinity of Kötzschenbroda. In any case, the elaboration of the group of figures indicates that it was made in the Baroque era .

For 1885, the building files for the Friedenskirchhof repeatedly record invoices with relocations of tombs, but the Chronos group is not mentioned by name. In a photo from around 1900, the two figures appear separately, to the left and right of the grave slab of the Kötzschenbroda pastor Augustin Prescher . The group of figures was sawn through the middle of the console. Dowel holes in the front of the console indicate that a writing plate was previously attached, but this has been lost.

The group of figures is mentioned in 1904 in the inventory of Saxon art monuments . Cornelius Gurlitt describes the two figures in connection with the Friedenskirche as "placed on the east side externally".

After a stopover in the sculptor's workshop in the Dresden Zwingerbauhütte , it was put back together in 1928 and set up on the south side of Hoflößnitz Palace , where it remained until 1945. Then it was moved to the east side of the Kavalierhaus in the grounds of the Hoflößnitz and stood exposed to the right of the Kavalierhaus until its restoration in 2004. In the meantime she has returned to her place of origin, the Kötzschenbrodaer Kirchhof .

During the restoration in 2004, the stock, which was severely damaged compared to the photos from 1900, was stabilized, the stone was cleaned and carefully supplemented, peel detachments were backed up and secured, and there was also a reduction in salt. As it is not known whether Chronos was holding an hourglass or a sickle, nothing was done here. On the other hand, the downward pointing finger of his right hand was given a target point with a supplemented small bowl standing on the console as a “symbol for the transience of our existence on earth”. In addition, Chronos and the mourners were placed under a protective glass roof in order to minimize future weather influences.

literature

Cornelius Gurlitt : The art monuments of Dresden's surroundings, part 2: Amtshauptmannschaft Dresden-Neustadt . In: Descriptive representation of the older architectural and art monuments of the Kingdom of Saxony , Volume 26, CC Meinhold, Dresden 1904. ( Digitized Kötzschenbroda. The Church. Monuments. Sheet 54 , Sheet 55 )

Volker Helas (arrangement): City of Radebeul . Ed .: State Office for Monument Preservation Saxony, Large District Town Radebeul (= Monument Topography Federal Republic of Germany . Monuments in Saxony ). SAX-Verlag, Beucha 2007, ISBN 978-3-86729-004-3 .

Gudrun Taubert; H.-G. Staudte: Art in Public Space II. Gravestones . In: Association for Monument Preservation and New Building Radebeul (ed.): Contributions to the urban culture of the city of Radebeul . Radebeul 2005.

Web links

Commons : Chronos and the Mourners - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

↑ Quote from: Gudrun Täubert; H.-G. Staudte: Art in Public Space II. Gravestones . In: Association for Monument Preservation and New Building Radebeul (ed.): Contributions to the urban culture of the city of Radebeul . Radebeul 2005.

51.104025 13.634063888889Coordinates: 51 ° 6 '14.49 " N , 13 ° 38' 2.63" E

[1] Quote from: Gudrun Täubert; H.-G. Staudte: Art in Public Space II. Gravestones . In: Association for Monument Preservation and New Building Radebeul (ed.): Contributions to the urban culture of the city of Radebeul . Radebeul 2005.