Cathedral cartridges and imperial couple in Meissen Cathedral

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Donor figures in the Meissen Cathedral

The four sculptures Dompatrone and Imperial Couple are in the high choir of the Meissen Cathedral . They show the cathedral saints Johannes, the Evangelist , and Donatus, Bishop of Arezzo as well as the two donors, the imperial couple Emperor Otto I and his wife Adelheid .

The sculptures were made either by the Naumburg master himself or by an employee of his workshop. The exact period of their production cannot be definitively traced; but they were probably created around 1260.

Historical context

Before the construction of the Meissen Cathedral began, an older cathedral was located in its place. This Romanesque cathedral was dedicated to John the Baptist and St. Donatus. When the reputation of the Mark and diocese of Meissen increased in the 13th century, a new, representative building was needed. At that time there was no federal state as it exists today with the Federal Republic of Germany , so there was no centralized cultural policy. In the then Holy Roman Empire , territorial distinctions were pronounced, so that no uniform design developed, as was the case in France with the French cathedral. The Meissen Cathedral must therefore also be viewed as a special service. The exact beginning of the Meissen Cathedral falls during the reign of Bishop Withego I (1266–1293). Although no document dates the beginning, it was nevertheless established through architectural studies that the eastern part of the cathedral began in 1266. In 1268 the new choir was already usable, the transept in 1287. The construction of the cathedral turned out to be extremely costly, so that Bishop Withego I obtained indulgences. The nave was built as early as 1298 .

However, when the four figures were created is not exactly known. Only a period of time has to be determined, which falls into the construction of the choir and the transept. One assumes the time between 1260 and 1280. It is very likely that the figures were created during construction in the sixties. The figures were therefore only created after the lifetime of Emperor Otto I (912 - 973) or Donatus von Arezzo (probably lived in the 4th century).

The question about the creator of the characters is easier to answer. Cathedral patrons and imperial couple come from the workshop of the Naumburg master, they were made there either by the master himself or by one of his students. This thesis is based on their stylistic relationship to the donor figures in the Naumburg West Choir.

description

In addition to the four figures in the high choir, there are three other figures in the so-called octagonal building of the Meissen Cathedral. These represent Mary , John the Baptist and the deacon Stephanus . The latter shows a problem of interpretation, since he is also called Zacharias or an angel . These seven sculptures are among the greatest sculptural achievements of the early German Gothic.

Cathedral patrons: John (Figure I) and Donatus (Figure II)

Figures in the high choir

The figures of the cathedral cartridge are on the south wall. Figure I is near the altar. It is larger than life with its height of 2.01 m. A bearded male is standing barefoot and smiling in a calm posture. His full hair is curly. He is dressed in a wide-sleeved, foot-length coat. This raises many wrinkles. Under this he wears a fabric-rich undergarment with close-fitting sleeves and collar band. The man shows a strong body rotation, one of his legs he puts slightly outwards. He's bent his right arm. If you are at the same height as the figure, your right upper arm looks too short. This part is intentional because the figure should be placed high from the start and the viewer is viewing it from below. The figure was thus matched to the perspective, which explains its spatial depth and the deep undercut of its folds of clothing. With the index finger of his right hand he points to an open book in his left hand, which at the same time holds the coat tightly and tightens it. This creates a fold of folds that lets you see the book. In this the words IN PRINCIPIO ERAT VERBVM can be clearly recognized. Like all figures in the high choir, figure I stands on a plinth . These are of different sizes, but were created with the figures out of one stone. The dimensions for the plinth of Figure I are 8.2 × 47.5 × 41.4 cm in height, width and depth.

To the right of Figure I there is also a male figure with Figure II. She is dressed like a bishop and shown in regalia . She wears the following items of clothing: alb , stole , tunic , dalmatica and chasuble , a miter on her head, a staff in her left hand, gloves on both hands, a ring on the middle finger of her right hand, a maniple on her left forearm and a humeral around her the throat. She shifts his weight onto her left leg, whereas the right leg is relieved and keeps the figure in balance. The upper body is turned strongly to the left against the lower body, but the left foot does not turn away with the upper body to the left. The rotating body movement of the hip is hidden under the figure's robe. The figure thus combines frontality and a turn to space and people. In comparison to the gestures of the arms and hands as well as the facial expressions, the rotation of the body is contrary. The man raises his right hand in a commanding gesture of speech and the simultaneous gesture of blessing , opening his mouth slightly. The corners of his mouth are drawn down, indicating his superiority. He pulls his eyebrows up slightly. The dimensions of its plinth are 8.5 × 52.5 × 41 cm, the total height of Figure II is then 2.10 m.

Donor figures: Adelheid (Figure IV) and Otto I. (Figure III)

Figures I and II stand opposite the donor figures on the north wall. Figure III, like Figure I, is near the altar; it is also male. Figure III faces Figure IV, but like this one looks into space. The depicted man wears imperial clothes. There is an almost baroque crown on his head, and in his left hand, which is covered by his robe, he holds a scepter . The scepter is a long staff with a leaf pommel. The leaves above the pommel form a bushy bud. He wears a large brooch on his chest and holds an orb in his right hand . This lies diagonally in his hand. He elegantly shows his right arm and right hand, and with his left hand he lifts his coat a little. The movements of the figure appear soft. He pushes the knee of his free leg, his right leg, slightly forward. It is indicated by its robe. The head, chest, shoulders and body are gracefully formed. The movement of the body is emphasized by the tubular folds of the robe on the right side and the straight hem of the coat and the scepter on the left. The figure's facial expression is affected. It is on a plinth measuring 6.7 × 51.5 × 41.5 cm. Overall, it then extends to a height of 2.07 m.

Figure IV is to the left of Figure III and is the only female figure in the high choir. She has a crown on her head and turns to Figure III. The crown, like that of Figure III, is made in the style of the time. With excessively large stones and heavy-looking metal parts made of gold, it depicts a hoop with four identical leaves. On the woman's chest is a brooch that appears too large. Below her knees you can see three dents that are almost identical, the same applies to the folds above her feet. Overall, the folds look stylized on her. The folds on the chest all start almost at the same height and are all next to each other. The female body of the figure is veiled. Garment and body are not coordinated. Her eyes suggest that she is in thought. She smiles. It is 2.11 m tall and stands on a plinth measuring 7.9 × 47 × 41 cm.

placement

There has been much speculation about the placement of the figures. The question in particular was whether they were deliberately set up in the room and incorporated into the architecture or whether the four figures from the high choir and those from the octagonal building were formerly on a portal. The portal theory, which has been advocated again and again, assumed that the seven figures were grouped in a west portal. The arrangement was an unsolved problem. The research assumed that the figures are more or less all the same in size and style, but this is not yet evidence of an arrangement in the portal. They therefore come from a master. Above the figures in the choir, the wall would have been moved and an early Gothic canopy attached. If one takes a closer look at the size of the seven figures, it can be concluded that they could not possibly have been arranged in a common portal. They are too different in size for an arrangement in the portal. The Madonna is 2.01 m tall, her companions the deacon 1.93 m and John the Baptist 1.85 m. The Mother of God is relatively the largest in the octagonal building, but if you look at the figures in the high choir, you will notice a clear difference in size. Except for the equally tall evangelist John, all the figures are larger than them. In a shared portal this would cause difficulties in that the larger figures were given more importance due to the different proportions. It is therefore difficult for the viewer to understand why the founders are greater than the Mother of God or saints. The figures therefore do not match in size, and they also have different styles. This can be seen in the robes of the figures in the high choir and the figures in the octagonal building. The latter all have a fuller, more detailed fold style. Dominant, voluminous tubular folds contrast with the variations of the robes in the high choir.

The figures were therefore deliberately placed in the room and integrated into the architecture. This applies above all to the figures in the octagonal structure, as an isolated observation of the room and the statues illustrate their relationship to one another. The figures in the choir, on the other hand, are interchangeable, as they only accentuate the walls of the choir. If you take a closer look at the choir, it becomes clear that the installation of the statues was intended as part of the planning of the choir. The statues are located on consoles , which are attached to the walls of the transverse choir yoke, also known as the Stifterjoch. They were placed at the level of the upper ambulatory and are located between the polygonal choir and the six-part yoke of the square choir end, which connects to the rood screen and the transept. This placement was made possible by not pulling the windows in the Stifterjoch down as far as in the choir polygon, transept and nave. The required wall area was obtained by having the windows there end halfway up the windows of the choir polygon, transept and nave. The resulting wall surface requires decoration, as otherwise empty wall fields will arise as defects in the architectural context. Also includes the top of the console on which the figures stand, with the lower edge of the sills of the windows outside the Stifterjoches to a straight line from. All of this is clear evidence of a planned incorporation of the figures into the architecture of the choir.

relationship

The figures in Meissen are characterized by the fact that they are perfectly coordinated. The two donors, like the dome cartridge, cannot be separated. If you go frontally in front of Figures III and IV, their connection becomes clear. The male figure has a worried expression in his facial expressions and gestures . The woman on his left encourages him to stand by his side. It seems as if the characters are internally and emotionally connected, you can also see that both donor characters were a couple in real life. In the Meissen Cathedral, the artist created two figures that belong together and are inseparable. Both figures face each other and would be incomplete without the other. It appears that the male figure is responding to the initiative of the female figure. He agrees to her conversation with a slightly open mouth.

The figures of the cathedral cartridge have a similar relationship to one another as the pair of figures of the donors. Figure II gives a sermon with a raised hand and is supported by Figure I, who exudes a certain calm in his back and refers to the book in his hands. In addition to their relationship with one another, both figures have a desired relationship with the viewer. Figure I smiles at the viewer and lets his gaze wander to the book in his hands. Figure II, on the other hand, turns away from Figure I, directs its stern gaze on the viewer and addresses him directly with a raised hand. The cartridge are symbols for the power of writing (Figure I) and the Church (Figure II). It is true that they are not explicitly directed towards each other like the donor couple, their relationship with one another is of a different kind. The focus of both is the relationship to the viewer.

In addition to the relationships with one another, the robes of the figures are color-coordinated. The female figure wears a blue coat, which is similar to the red coat of Figure III. Figure I also wears a red coat, only Figure II differs in color from the other figures.

Colored version

All four figures have different colors. The first frame was a casein frame that was applied without a primer. Gilding lay on an ocher-colored adhesive layer. In the second version, pressed brocades are shown on the figures, so it can be classified between the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. At that time, this barrel technique was used in Upper Saxony. The third version was created with oil paints, it probably dates from the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the color version of the figures in the high choir was considered worthy of monument.

The color gives the appearance of the statues a realistic character. They look lifelike. The colored versions allow not only the dates but also the ideals of beauty of the respective epoch to be recognized. All four figures wear colorful robes, their insignia and attributes of secular and spiritual origin are colored accordingly.

The first version of Figure I wears a white, long-sleeved alb with red piping on the neck and hand, a blue lined tunic with a red lined collar and external gilding, a red coat that is designed in green on the inside and reddish brown hair. His skin color is kept in a strong pink shade. The book is gilded in the cover and cut, the paper is white. The text is black. In the second version, one of the hair colors changes to gold, the book cover and cut become white and the piping of the alb becomes black. The third version changes only a little, only the inner lining of the coat turns green.

In the first version, Figure II wears gold shoes, an alb that is edged with gold and decorated with red and blue lines, a red stole with blue fringes, a gold-plated tunic with green wheels in the decorative strip, a gold one Dalmatica with red ornaments and a chasuble blue outside and red inside. He has a white shawl, white gloves with red-edged black crosses in gold medallions, the ring has a red stone with a gold setting, his staff is silver and has a gold point with a gold ring, the bend and pommel are also gold, including the maniple is golden on the outside but red on the inside. The miter is white with a gold border . His skin was a yellowish red, his hair light brown. The second version changes the alb to white with gold trim and red border, the tunic and dalmatic become gold, the chasuble is designed in a lighter blue on the outside and adorned with pressed brocades, the gloves turn red, the maniple remains gold on the outside, while it turns blue on the inside and the fringes turn dark red. The skin color is changed to a yellowish pink. In the third version, only the chasuble is changed to blue-violet and the skin color is changed to a strong pink.

The first version of Figure III has black shoes, a sleeveless, gold tunic with blue, red and black ornaments, a gold-plated brooch with a red stone in the middle, surrounded by four smaller green and alternating green and blue stones in the passports, sleeves of the undergarment in green on silver, a light red coat with a white and black ermine lining and a golden tassel cord . The scepter is golden, the leaves and bud are red. The imperial orb is also gold-plated, the same applies to the crown with its green, blue and red stones. The skin color is a mixture of pink and gray, the hair ocher red. The lips are bright red, the recognizable teeth white. His eyes are blue-white with brown irises and black pupils. In the second version, the shoes are brown, the tunic is completely decorated with gold-plated and blue-painted press brocade, the undergarment sleeves are all green, the coat is dark red and the black ermine tails in the inner lining are larger. The skin color turns pink, the hair turns brown. In the third version, the tunic is ocher yellow and decorated with a red and gold pattern, the coat has a gray-white lining.

The first version of Figure IV shows her in black shoes, a golden tunic with a red lining, a red piped neckline and a top with blue ornaments and a golden border, which is separated from the robe by two red lines above and below. She wears a black rimmed, golden brooch with stones in blue, green and red, a coat that is lined with blue, blue and white ermine fur on the inside, on the shoulders are two gold rosettes as coat closers that hold the gold tassel band. The crown veil is white and has two golden decorative stripes, which are traversed by black and red lines, the golden crown has precious stones in green, blue and red. Her skin color is a strong pink, her eyes have a blue-gray iris and black pupils, the eyebrows are dark brown, the lips light red. The second version changes the stone colors in the brooch to green and red, the rosettes and the tassel band are given gold pressed brocades that are painted red, the coat is displayed in a lighter blue on the outside, while the inside remains the same, only the black ermine tails are larger. The crown veil loses its decorative ribbons and remains white, the skin color changes to a light pink. In the third version, the coat turns dark blue, the skin color changes to a mixture of pink and ocher colors, the crown veil turns white-gray.

iconography

The iconography of the four figures in the high choir is clear, so they are easy to identify. In the figures on the south wall, Figure I is the Evangelist John and Figure II is Bishop Donatus. On the north wall are the two founders, Emperor Otto I as figure III and his wife Adelheid as figure IV, recognizable by their symbols of power of crown, scepter and ermine fur. Identification is facilitated by the fact that Gothic uncials designate them on the base plates under the figures on the south wall. The uncials are S. JOHANNES EWANGELISTA and S.DONATVS EPISCOPVS. The evangelist John points to his open gospel, he becomes its attribute. Even without an uncial, the two figures can be identified based on their external appearance. The evangelist John is depicted in his typical Christian iconography as a young, beardless man with long curly hair and a red coat. The objects of the bishop, dressed in full regalia, now turn out to be his bishop's staff and bishop's ring . The cathedral was consecrated to both of them, they are its patrons.

It is noticeable that Emperor Otto I is portrayed as a suffering, affected man, unusual for a ruler. Opposite the emperor, the actual ruler, Bishop Donatus, stands with a raised, commanding hand; the church had taken over the place of power from the empire at that time. The already discussed relationships between the characters become clearer with their identification. The smiling Empress Adelheid turns to her husband, who can be seen to be the burden of his office. She supports him. Opposite the emperor stands the self-confident evangelist John. He stands in the back of Bishop Donatus and supports him. The apostle's word thus affirms his apostolic mission. The cathedral cartridges are in contrast to the donor figures. All figures communicate with each other, speak to their neighbors and their direct and diagonal counterparts.

Relationship with Naumburg

The seven mentioned sculptures in the Meissen Cathedral were definitely created in the workshop of the Naumburg master. As in Meißen, the donor figures in Naumburg Cathedral are placed in such a way that they cannot be separated. They also express the inner connection between the two depicted people and their outer marriage bond. The Meißner imperial couple is uniquely attuned to one another, compared to the Naumburg couple, which was created earlier, which ultimately shows two contrary characters. The Naumburg master has surpassed his earlier work. However, it is not certain which works originate from the hand of the Naumburg master himself and which were made by his students. It was impossible for him to have created all of the works ascribed to him. According to Paul Liebe, the Naumburg master himself determined and designed the arrangement of the figures in the Meissen Cathedral. The placement of the figures in front of the wall differs from those that are subordinate to the architecture and built into it in Naumburg, and the meaning of the content is easier to recognize in Meißen than in Naumburg. Immediately after the completion of the Naumburg donor cycle, the Naumburg master's workshop began work in Meissen and consequently on the seven sculptures. In Meißen, the concept of the Naumburg West Choir was known before the construction of the own choir began. Naumburg's west choir, which may already have been completed, only had an indirect influence on Meissen Cathedral. In Meißen, the cathedral was designed according to the requirements used in Meißen, so that a new spatial image was created. The west choir is replaced by an additional choir bay. In this the necessary space for the figures in the high choir is created. You first give the room a meaning and master this part. The task of the sculptor and the architect in Meißen was therefore completely different from that in Naumburg.

literature

  • Donatus, Bishop. From Arezzo, St. In: Melzer Hartmann, Otto Wimmer (Hrsg.): Lexicon of names and saints. Innsbruck u. a. 1988, p. 221.
  • Otto I, the great. In: Brockhaus. Encyclopedia in 30 volumes. Vol. 20, Leipzig / Mannheim 2006, pp. 619-620.
  • Elisabeth Hütter: Description of the color version on the figures in the high choir. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, ISBN 3-7400-1155-6 , pp. 263-278.
  • Elisabeth Hütter, Heinrich Magirius: The polychromy of the four figures in the high choir and their attention in literature. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, pp. 255-262.
  • Edgar Lehmann , Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1971, DNB 720006244 .
  • Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1968, DNB 457382201 .
  • Ernst-Heinz Lemper : The cathedral at Meissen. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1985, DNB 860277690 .
  • Ernst-Heinz Lemper: The Meissen Cathedral. Schnell & Steiner, Munich a. a. 1990, OCLC 165504991 .
  • Paul Liebe: The Naumburg master in Meissen. In: Franz Lau (Hrsg.): Das Hochstift Meissen: Essays on the Saxon church history. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Berlin 1973, DNB 740612697 , pp. 359–374.
  • Paul love, Hermann Klemm, Wilfried Grahl: Meissen: the cathedral and its history. Evangelical Publishing House , Berlin 1974, OCLC 74160008 .
  • Heinrich Magirius : The cathedral at Meissen. Schnell and Steiner, Munich a. a. 1993, ISBN 3-7954-1024-X .
  • Heinrich Magirius: Art-historical aspects of the figures of the diocese saints in the high choir and the three figures in the octagonal building. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, pp. 279-283.

Web links

Commons : Meißner Dom  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Berlin 1968, pp. 83-96.
  2. ^ Ernst-Heinz Lemper: The Meissen Cathedral. Munich u. a. 1990, pp. 2-8.
  3. ↑ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Berlin 1968, p. 94.
  4. ↑ Heinrich Magirius: The cathedral at Meißen. Munich u. a. 1993, p. 16.
  5. ↑ Otto I, the great. In: Brockhaus. Encyclopedia in 30 volumes. Vol. 20, Leipzig / Mannheim 2006, pp. 619-620.
  6. ↑ Donatus, Bish. From Arezzo, St. In: Melzer Hartmann, Otto Wimmer (Hrsg.): Lexicon of names and saints. Innsbruck u. a. 1988, p. 221.
  7. ↑ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Berlin 1968, p. 83.
  8. ^ Paul love, Hermann Klemm, Wilfried Grahl: Meissen: the cathedral and its history. Berlin 1974, p. 26f.
  9. ↑ a b Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 27.
  10. ↑ a b Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 27f.
  11. ↑ Elisabeth Hütter, Heinrich Magirius: The polychromy of the four figures in the high choir and their attention in literature. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, pp. 255f.
  12. ^ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 28ff.
  13. ↑ a b c Elisabeth Hütter, Heinrich Magirius: The polychromy of the four figures in the high choir and their attention in literature. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, p. 256.
  14. ↑ a b Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 30.
  15. ^ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 31f.
  16. ↑ a b Heinrich Magirius: The cathedral at Meißen. Munich u. a. 1993, p. 11.
  17. ^ Heinrich Magirius: Art-historical aspects of the figures of the diocese saints in the high choir and the three figures in the octagonal building. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, p. 279.
  18. ↑ Paul Liebe: The Naumburg Master in Meißen. In: Franz Lau (Hrsg.): The Meissen bishopric: Essays on the Saxon church history. Berlin 1973, pp. 360-362.
  19. ^ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 30f.
  20. ↑ Paul Liebe: The Naumburg Master in Meißen. In: Franz Lau (Hrsg.): The Meissen bishopric: Essays on the Saxon church history. Berlin 1973, p. 363f.
  21. ^ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, pp. 27-30.
  22. ↑ Heinrich Magirius: The cathedral at Meißen. Munich u. a. 1993, p. 15.
  23. ↑ Elisabeth Hütter, Heinrich Magirius: The polychromy of the four figures in the high choir and their attention in literature. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, pp. 257f.
  24. ^ Elisabeth Hütter: Description of the color version on the figures in the high choir. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, pp. 263-275.
  25. ↑ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Berlin 1968, p. 91.
  26. ^ Heinrich Magirius: Art-historical aspects of the figures of the diocese saints in the high choir and the three figures in the octagonal building. In: Heinrich Magirius (Ed.): Architecture and sculpture of the Meissen Cathedral in the 13th and 14th centuries. Weimar 2001, p. 282f.
  27. ↑ Paul Liebe: The Naumburg Master in Meißen. In: Franz Lau (Hrsg.): The Meissen bishopric: Essays on the Saxon church history. Berlin 1973, pp. 359-363.
  28. ↑ Ernst-Heinz Lemper: The cathedral at Meißen. Berlin 1985, p. 16f.
  29. ↑ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meißner Dom: Contributions to the building history and design up to the end of the 13th century. Berlin 1968, p. 89f.
  30. ^ Edgar Lehmann, Ernst Schubert: The Meissen Cathedral. Berlin 1971, p. 37f.