Nicholas Babel

Signature of "Niklas Babl"

St. Anna Selbdritt in the St. Leonhard Chapel in Tannheim-Kienzen

Guild rod of the blacksmiths and wagons in the parish church of Nesselwang

Pulpit in the parish church of the Assumption of Mary in Vils / Tyrol (detail)

Angels in the parish church of Vils

Crucifix (detail) in the Church of Pinswang

The Pfronten workshop of Nikolaus Babel (born November 15, 1643 in Pfronten -Dorf; † May 3, 1728 in Pfronten-Dorf) was a leader in the construction of altarpieces in the southern Allgäu for a good 50 years, from around 1670 to 1720 . The works of Babel were also widely spread in neighboring Tyrol's Ausserfern .

Life

Nikolaus Babel was born as the youngest son of the wealthy carpenter Peter Babel (1601–1691) in Pfronten-Dorf. The father was already considered a "famous master". Two older brothers, Hans (before 1636–1719) and Andreas (1636–1695), also became carpenters and ran their workshops in Pfronten. It appears that they were also involved in the carpentry work that their brother, as an entrepreneur, was entrusted with, if necessary. Nikolaus probably received his first instruction in the Kistler trade in his father's workshop. It can be assumed that he completed an apprenticeship as a sculptor with Martin Schneider (around 1608–1664), who was resident in Pfronten, and from 1624 he was trained with Sebastian Guggenbichel in Dillingen . Schneider already worked closely with Peter Babel and made figures for his altar structures. Nikolaus Babel returned to Pfronten around 1672 after completing his journeyman migration. On April 2, 1674, he married Anna Paal, who came from the Montafon (seven children from this marriage from 1675 to 1683). At this point, at the latest, he also took over his father's workshop. After the early death of his wife Anna (on February 16, 1684), Nikolaus already married Katharina Schraudolph from Oberstdorf on April 17, 1684 (eight other children from 1685 to 1699). One son - Joseph, born in 1680 - was also a sculptor, but left Pfronten in 1701 and, according to a letter, was still abroad in 1731. Nikolaus Babel held important honorary posts in Pfronten. For a long time he was caretaker of saints and parish judge in his home parish, he was twice elected parish captain (= mayor). Like his father, Nikolaus Babel also reached an old age. He died almost 85 years old.

plant

Babel called himself a "carpenter and sculptor". In the land register of Weißensee , however, he appears as a “sculptor and decorative tailor”. In fact, he was a master of decorating. This is particularly clear in one of his main works, the scapular altar in the parish and pilgrimage church of Maria Rain. In terms of layout and good proportions, the Babel altars appear timeless. That saved some of them - but not all of them - from annihilation. The quality of his altar figures is judged very differently. This description is probably most accurate: “His graceful figure formation is remarkable, which gives putti and angels in particular an elegant charm far from any sweetness.” Their appearance makes Babel's figures almost unmistakable, so that attributions to him can be considered safe. Dating, however, is often difficult. A chronologically arranged catalog raisonné cannot therefore be compiled. As far as known, however, the date of origin is given. Because of the extremely large number of Babel works that have now been identified, it is only possible to list the locations of the most important works. As a rule, all of the figures, decorations and often even the carved altar candlesticks for the altar buildings mentioned came from the Babel workshop.

• Bad Hindelang : St. Silvester Chapel in Gailenberg : Altar

• Bichlbach / Tyrol: Guild Church dedicated to St. Josef: two prayer confessionals and several individual figures, around 1710

• Eisenberg : Parish Church of St. Mauritius in Zell: three altars

• Füssen : Filial church of Our Lady on the Mountain: three altars, around 1685 - Filial church St. Sebastian: high altar, dated 1696

• Görisried : St. Sebastian Chapel in Wildberg: three altars, around 1717 (?); Crucifixion group

Altar in the branch chapel in Wank near Nesselwang

• Grän / Tirol: Chapel of St. Jakob in Haldensee: choir altar - Michaelskapelle in Lumberg: choir altar

• Hopfen am See am See: Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul: three altars

• Immenstadt : Parish Church of St. Otmar in Rauhenzell : South side altar 1695/96, archival evidence. Figures and decorations on the high altar 1694, archival evidence. Schnitz putt on the pulpit lid

• Maria Rain : Parish and pilgrimage church: Scapular altar, around 1707

• Nesselwang : St. Andreas parish church: three altars (archival documented 1703/06, not preserved); three guild signs, around 1680; several individual figures, including a crucifixion group and a baptismal group - St. Joseph chapel in Gschwend: altar, crucifixion group - St. Johann Baptist chapel in Wank: altar, around 1706 - Maria Trost pilgrimage church : several figures - Chapel Exaltation of the Cross in Thal: Ecce Homo , 1711; two thieves , 1706

• Oberjoch : Chapel St. Jakob : high altar

• Oberstdorf : Josefskapelle: two side altars 1684/85 - Castle Church in Schöllang: high altar, 1681

• Oy-Mittelberg : Parish Church of St. Michael in Mittelberg: Altar, 1676/77 (not preserved), cheeks, candlesticks, several figures (some of which are kept in the rectory) - Filial Church of St. Three King in Bachtel: High Altar - Filial Church of St. Wolfgang in Haslach: two side altars

• Pfronten : St. Nikolaus parish church : several altars 1681 to 1687, archival evidence, not preserved; Pulpit 1705/06, archival evidence; two confessionals 1723/24, archival evidence, not preserved - Maria Hilf chapel in Meilingen: high altar 1686/87, archival evidence; two side altars around 1690 - St. Johannes Evangelist Chapel in Röfleuten: three altars 1703

• Sulzberg : Parish Church of St. Otmar in Ottacker: altars (not preserved), several figures
• Tannheim / Tirol: Chapel St. Leonhard in Kienzen: choir altar and crucifix

• Vils / Tirol: City parish church of the Assumption of Mary. four altars (high altar not preserved); Pulpit around 1714 (?); a larger number of individual figures, e.g. T. kept

• Wertach : Chapel of St. Franz Xaver in Hinterreute: high altar, around 1710

• Zöblen / Tyrol: Expositurkirche zum St. Josef : Altar (not preserved), several figures

literature

• Herbert Wittmann: Roots of the "Pfrontener School", the beginning of an important altar building and sculpture tradition in the 17th century . In: Yearbook of the historical association "Alt Füssen". Alt Füssen 2005, ISSN  0939-2467 , pp. 15-61 (with further references).

• Herbert Wittmann: Nikolaus Babel (1643–1728): “Carpenter and sculptor in Pfronten” . In: Yearbook of the historical association "Alt Füssen", Alt Füssen 2006, ISSN  0939-2467 , pp. 58–115.
• Klaus Wankmiller: With knife and mallet ! Works by Pfrontener Sculptors in Ausserfern - Catalog for the exhibition street (= publications of the Museum Association of the Reutte District - Volume XI), Reutte 2017. ISBN 978-3-9503706-7-6 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Margot Luda and Thomas Raff: Kunstdenkmäler . In: Wilhelm Liebhart (Ed.): Nesselwang, Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Sigmaringen 1990, p. 361.
2. ^ Augsburg State Archives, Augsburg Nursing Offices 250, fol. 122v.
3. ^ Archives of the Diocese of Augsburg BO 3798.
4. ↑ Annemarie Schröppel, in: Encounter with the Pfrondtner art of the 17th and 18th centuries. , Fuessen 1981.
5. ↑ Ingo Seufert, in: Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary Vils in Tirol, Christian Art Sites Austria, No. 311, Verlag St. Peter, Salzburg 1998, p. 16.

Web links

Commons : Nikolaus Babel  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files