Freiburg sculpture from the 16th century

Freiburg sculpture of the 16th century : Around 1500 the city of Freiburg in Üechtland became a regional center for the production of sculptures . Several sculptors settled in the city on the Saane and created numerous works of high quality in just a few decades.

workshops

Main representative

In Freiburg, five important workshops are known for the 16th century, the heads of which were (in brackets the years of activity):

• Master of the Big Noses (1503–1508)
• Hans Roditzer (1504–1521)
• Martin Gramp (1508-1524)
• Hans Geiler (1513–1534)
• Hans Gieng (1524–1562)

Thanks to written sources, but also based on stylistic and technical criteria, the traditional sculptures can often be assigned to a specific workshop.

role models

In terms of form and technology, the Freiburg sculptors oriented themselves towards the most important masters of their time such as Tilman Riemenschneider in Würzburg, Michel Erhart and Niklaus Weckmann in Ulm, Jörg Lederer in Kaufbeuren and the successors of Niclaus Gerhaerts in Strasbourg.

Working method

The medieval sculptors worked in workshops which, in addition to the master, included one or two trained journeymen and an apprentice. They usually did commissioned work. The clients - rich citizens , high clergy, guilds , parishes or the city itself - had a great influence on the form and content of the work: They determined the size, selected the material and determined what should be presented.

The production of the sculptures and reredos was regulated by a contract, which was occasionally accompanied by a design drawing, the so-called crack . For full figures or reliefs , the sculptor relied on templates such as engravings or earlier compositions developed in the workshop. The completed sculptures were usually painted entirely in color. The barrel painter completed the sculptor's work with numerous details.

activities

In medium-sized cities like Freiburg, the sculptors not only created sculptures in the narrower sense, but also furnished important buildings with wall paneling and ceilings made of wood, made elaborate furniture and provided templates for stove plates made of cast iron or clay and occasionally for bronze figures. They also made simple models for hook boxes or bricks, repaired sculptures or made tiny repairs.

Business circle

The sculptors working in Freiburg were mainly active in the immediate vicinity, but also worked for Bern , Solothurn or Zurich and occasionally exported their works to France or Italy.

Exhibitions (selection)

• 2011/2012: Sculpture 1500. Friborg au coeur de l'Europe / Freiburg in the heart of Europe. Museum of Art and History, Friborg (Switzerland), October 14, 2011 to February 19, 2012.

literature

• Stephan Gasser, Katharina Simon-Muscheid , Alain Fretz and Primula Bosshard (photos): The Freiburg sculpture of the 16th century. Production, function and client base. Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-86568-626-8 .
• Katharina Simon-Muscheid: The late Gothic sculpture of Freiburg i. Ü. in the European context. Friborg 2009. (= Archives de la Société d'histoire du canton de Friborg. Nouvelle Série, Vol. 4.)

See also

• Gothic sculpture

Web links

• Freiburg sculptures from the 16th century in the collection of the Museum of Art and History Freiburg
• Freiburg stone sculptures from the 16th century on the website of the National Information Center for Cultural Heritage NIKE ( PDF file, 3 MB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Press files in German (PDF file, 0.8 MB) and French ( memento of the original from January 14, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file, 2.4 MB) on the museum website, accessed July 25, 2012. 
2. ↑ Beatrix Novy: Meeting in the book market of Germany radio on 26 December 2011 called on 25 July 2012 found.