Michael Schwenke

Michael Schwenke (born May 30, 1563 in Pirna ; † July 10, 1610 ibid) was a German sculptor in Saxony .

Life

He learned the craft of sculpture from Christian Krämer and Andreas Buschwitz in Pirna and Dresden . Later he worked in the sculpture workshop of Christoph Walther II in Dresden and then with his son-in-law Melchior Jobst in Pirna. In 1603 he was appointed chief master of stonemasons , masons and sculptors. He was a main representative of the outstanding Pirna School of Sculpture and one of the most important Saxon sculptors around 1600 and brought Renaissance classicism to its peak in Saxony. In addition to his diverse activities as a stonemason and bricklayer, he was head of the guild as head master of the Pirna sculptors from 1603 to 1610 . Among other things, he worked on the interior of the castle and church in Lauenstein , Neschwitz , Bensen and Pirna (ten meter high sandstone altarpiece ). His brother David Schwenke and his sons Hans and Daniel continued his work . There is a memorial plaque at Langen Strasse 24 at the parents' house in Pirna.

Works

The ten meter high sandstone altar of the Pirna town church St. Marien is the work of the sculptor Michael Schwenke.

• 1579–85: Collaboration in the workshop of Christoph Walther II in Dresden
• 1582: Baptismal font for the church in Wilschdorf near Pirna and for the church in Zabeltitz together with Christoph Walther II
• 1585: Epitaph for Michael Borsberg and for Mayor Matthes Heintz, City Church St. Marien Pirna
• 1586: Portal decorations at the Meierhof Königswald near Bodenbach
• 1587: Portrait grave plate for Joachim von Bolberitz in the church in Seitschen
• 1588: Plastic decoration of the entrance portals of the Nikolaifriedhof in Pirna
• 1592: Epitaph for the Pirna councilor Hans Nacke, Marienkirche Pirna
• 1593: Portal figure of sleeping Christ at the manor in Eulau near Bodenbach
• 1594–1602: baptismal font, pulpit and altar as well as portal decorations for the church in Lauenstein
• 1595–97: Sculptural wall decorations at Lauenstein Castle
• 1597: Baptismal font for St. Petri Cathedral in Bautzen
• 1600: Relief Jakobstraum for the Leipzig Nikolaikirche
• 1604: Portrait grave plate for Herr von Haugk von Hermsdorf in the church in Ulbersdorf near Sebnitz
• 1604: Portrait grave plate for Hans George von Sabottendorf, Marienkirche Pirna
• 1605: Altar for the church in Neschwitz near Bautzen
• 1609–10: Figures for an epitaph for Günther von Bünau on Lauenstein and his wife, Lauenstein Castle
• 1610: Drafts for the altar of the Marienkirche in Pirna

literature

• Kurt Buschmann: Schwenke, Michael . In: Hans Vollmer (Hrsg.): General lexicon of fine artists from antiquity to the present . Founded by Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker . tape 30 : Scheffel – Siemerding . EA Seemann, Leipzig 1936, p. 380-381 .
• Günther Deneke: Magdeburg sculptors of the High Renaissance and the Baroque. Richter et al., Halle aS 1911, p. 18 (Reprint: Salzwasser Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-8460-3904-5 ).

Web links

• Memorial plaque at the house where Michael Schwenkes was born ( Memento from March 25, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
• Elisabeth Schwarm: Michael Schwencke (1563–1610) . In: Institute for Saxon History and Folklore (Ed.): Saxon Biography .