Master of the big noses

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The master of the big noses is a 16th century sculptor who worked in Freiburg im Üchtland in Switzerland between 1503 and 1508 . The emergency name of the craftsman, who is not known by name, is derived from the impressive noses that his sculptures show. His style is typical of late Gothic sculpture.

biography

The life of the master of the big noses remains in the dark. For a long time people wanted to equate him with Martin Gramp, but today researchers are of the opinion that it could be the "sculptor Hans", who is mentioned in urban text sources between 1503 and 1508. Apparently the city paid him his hospital rent from 1504 to 1508. The medieval cities offered coveted craftsmen who wanted to keep such financial relief. So the supported craftsman became a semi-public employee. Until Hans Geiler in 1515, no other sculptor named Hans is mentioned in the sources.

style

The sculptures in this workshop are characterized by an extraordinarily idiosyncratic style. You are down to earth, of natural corporeality and powerful authority. With a broad, somewhat stocky stature, they do not follow the valid anatomical principles. Despite an unmistakable style, the workshop created differentiated sculptures. Each figure is newly composed, each work a unique piece, in stark contrast to the other Freiburg workshops, which worked with slightly varying formulas.

The faces of the male figures in this workshop are marked by voluminous noses with surprisingly small holes. As for the rudimentary eyes, the carver relied on the work of the barrel painter. The spherical protruding pupils are covered in the upper half by semicircular lids. The mouth with its pronounced lips stands out clearly from the round, protruding chin. The rounded faces of the women with smooth, fleshy cheeks and strongly rounded foreheads differ from those of the men with their three-dimensional modeling: deep wrinkles under the eyes, around the nose and mouth, outwardly receding eyebrows, protruding cheekbones, slightly sunken cheeks, head hair and Beard with gorgeous curls.

technology

In technical terms, the sculptures from the workshop of the master of the big noses show a considerable range. One of their common features is that they are carved from a single block of wood as much as possible. Additions can only be found where they are unavoidable. The cavity on the back, which was made with a large-format tool, extends beyond the shoulder area and roughly follows the face of the figure. The wooden shell remains quite thick to avoid being broken with the tool.

Art historical classification

The main feature of the sculptures from the workshop of the master of the big noses is the pronounced interest in the individuality of the not necessarily realistically designed people. A parallel can be found in the Strasbourg sculptures in the succession of Niclaus Gerhaert von Leyden. If the master's works were characterized by a strong naturalistic representation, his students concentrated more on individual characteristics. In this context, one thinks primarily of the earlier works by Niklaus von Hagenau , which are kept in a very similar style.

Sculptures from the workshop of the master of the big noses

  • Ascension Christ from the Church of St. Nikolaus in Freiburg , 1503, Museum of Art and History Freiburg (MAHF 2448)
  • Retable of the butcher's altarpiece St. Antonius from the Church of St. Nicholas in Freiburg: St. Leonhard, St. Wendelin, Christ, Madonna and St. John the Baptist, 1504–1505, Museum of Art and History Freiburg (MAHF 2459, 2460, 7599 , 8330, 8331)
  • Angel with coat of arms Python, Neustadtgasse, Freiburg, 1507, Museum for Art and History Freiburg (D 2006-637)
  • Madonna and Child, around 1505, Notre-Dame des Marches chapel , Broc

environment

In Freiburg, five important workshops are known for the 16th century, besides that of the master of the big noses (1503–1508), that of Hans Roditzer (1504–1521), Martin Gramp (1508–1524), Hans Geiler (1513–1534 ) and Hans Gieng (1524–1562).

In terms of form and technology, the Freiburg sculptors orientated themselves on 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.

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.

See also

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 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Master of the big noses
BRIEF DESCRIPTION sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
DATE OF DEATH 16th Century