Henning Claussen

Henning Claussen (* around 1590 probably in Heide ; † after 1656 probably in Neuenkirchen ) worked as a sculptor in Schleswig-Holstein in the 17th century.

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Altar in the Rendsburg Marienkirche

Claussen's parents are not documented. According to evidence, he himself had a son with a woman of unknown name.

Art historians only recognized him late as an important sculptor in Schleswig-Holstein. Karl Stork in particular attributed several works by previously unknown sculptors such as the pulpit by Hennstedt in Dithmarschen and, on behalf of Elisabeth Beling , the altar of the Rendsburg Marienkirche to Johann Hennings . Wilhelm Johnsen was the first to point out that Stork's reasoning and evidence were based solely on invoices from the Hennstedt Church. They mention “a master” Henning Bildthawern, who most likely means the Henning Claussen described here, who lived in Neuenkirchen. Johnsen also provided evidence that Claussen was running a workshop in Rendsburg at the time , in which the Hennstedter Altar was made. After that, researchers adopted this opinion and ascribed the altar to Claussen.

Hennings' first works date back to 1626. Pastor Chr. Wigbert from Neuenkirchen commissioned a “Henning sculptor” to create a baptism in Lunden that no longer exists today. When the contract was awarded, Hennings must have already had a championship title. From 1635 to 1638 Hennings can be found with the entire name in the tax lists of Neuenkirchen. Court records from Meldorf in 1650 and 1652 name a "Henning Claußen, sculptor from Rendsburg". The aforementioned invoices from the church in Hennstedt mention a "Henning Bildthawer" in 1650/51. This worked on the pulpit of the church and obtained iron parts "in Rendßburrgk". From this it can be concluded that he moved his workshop to Rendsburg while he was working on the altar of the church.

In 1654 a lawsuit against Claussen was filed with the sovereign of Gottorf . That year he lived in Neuenkirchen again. In the following year, a "Master Henning der Bildthawer" created a baptismal cover for the Laurentius Church in Süderhastedt according to the church's invoices . There is no evidence that extends beyond this period. The last work that was assigned to him is an epitaph from 1656 in Flensburg.

Works

Hennings main work is the altar of the Rendsburg Marienkirche. There are also numerous epitaphs, baptisms, etc. a. in the church in Hemme , and other fixtures and fittings from churches. The artist worked in moderate mannerism . He built the altars and epitaphs according to a strict architectural structure, but added rich ornaments, which he designed in the auricle or cartilage style.

literature

• Wolfgang Zeigerer: Claussen, Henning . in: Biographical Lexicon for Schleswig-Holstein and Lübeck . Wachholtz, Neumünster 1982–2011. Vol. 6 - 1982. ISBN 3-529-02646-8 , pages 65-66.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Wilhelm Johnsen: New information about the equipment of the Marienkirche in Rendsburg . In: Local history yearbook 1952 for the district of Rendsburg . Rendsburg 1952, pp. 41-49
2. ↑ Kirsten Riechert: Baptismal font in northern Elbe between 1500 and 1914. Change in shape and meaning of a principal piece. Diss. Hamburg 2010, p. 175f.