Stefan Lochner

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Middle part of the three-part winged altar of the Cologne city patron

Stefan Lochner , more rarely Stephan Lochner (* around 1400 to 1410 in Meersburg on Lake Constance ; † 1451 in Cologne , probably on the plague ), Master Stefan , is the most important painter at the Cologne School of Painting . He was a main exponent of the Soft Style and one of the first recipients of the new Dutch painting around Robert Campin and Jan van Eyck .

Identity, life dates and work meaning

From: Cologne and the Reich in the city archive Best. 51 A 415
Part of the certificate for the imperial visit in June 1442 ( Cologne City Archives )

No work by Stefan Lochner is signed. The painter of the Madonna in the Rosenhag and the altar of the city patrons was an unknown unknown in the 19th century, when interest in Cologne painting of the Middle Ages awoke. The identification is based on a note in Albrecht Dürer's diary . The latter reports that he paid two white pfennigs in Cologne to have an altar panel opened for him, which came from the hand of a "Master Stefan". After finding this note, researchers looked for a painter named Stefan in the medieval Cologne sources and found Stefan Lochner, who was therefore equated with Dürer's “Master Stefan”. Since it was assumed that only the altar of the city patron , which was in the council chapel in Dürer's time, could have been of such interest to Dürer, one identified first the picture, which was not named by Dürer, with the altar of the city patron and second the named "Master Stefan “With Stefan Lochner, who is documented as a prominent painter in the sources. This identification is widely accepted, but has recently been questioned again. The other works that are considered Lochner works are attributed to him due to their stylistic similarity to the altar of the city patron .

According to the sources, Stefan Lochner worked in Cologne from 1442–1451, but probably lived there earlier. His family came from Lake Constance, as evidenced by a document with which the Cologne Council claimed the inheritance of Lochner's parents in Meersburg on Lake Constance in August 1451 . Meersburg is therefore considered to be his place of birth, even if nothing is documented about the parents' stay at the time of Stefan's birth. Even a “Lochner birthplace” based on no evidence whatsoever was temporarily signposted in Meersburg in the 20th century.

Lochner was elected councilor of the Schildergaffel 1447 twice, in 1447 and 1450, each at Christmas . Two house purchases (Roggendorf house in Grosse Budengasse (1442) in the parish of St. Laurenz and a semi-detached house on Quatermarkt (1444) in the parish of St. Alban ) testify to prosperity and give evidence of the master's place of residence and work. He carried out several assignments for the Cologne City Council. For example, festive decorations (shields and bars) for the visit of the emperor in 1442. There is evidence that he died in 1451, probably of the plague that was rampant at the time. His bones rest on the former plague cemetery on Quatermarkt, across from St. Alban.

Lochner is known for the doll-like figures wrapped in flowing robes with lovely faces and bright colors. It is characteristic of his works that he preserved the soft style of the period around 1400–1420 and connected it with the new naturalism of Dutch painting ( Jan van Eyck ). His painting is based on the tradition of the Cologne masters such as the Veronika master . Whether the master of the Heisterbach Altar is another artist influenced by Lochner, whether this master was a forerunner of Lochner, or whether the Heisterbach Altar is possibly an early work by Lochner remains controversial. Lochner may have received the inspiration for newer art on a trip to the Netherlands, but it is also conceivable that it was influenced by Dutch works that had come to Cologne.

On behalf of the City Council of Cologne, he created the altar of the city patron . The faces of the three wise men, who were verifiably mummified at the time, were depicted lifelike by him. This work is often called "Dombild", although it was not originally in Cologne Cathedral, but in the council chapel. It has only been in the cathedral since the 19th century.

Lochner adorned the saints in an almost extravagant way with precious works of goldsmiths, richly set with precious stones and pearls. Maria, Ursula, Katharina and others wear crowns, virgins tiaras. Hats, berets and turbans are marked with agraffes . Magnificent jewels can be found in front of the breasts of Maria and Ursula . Robes, braids and mitres are often set with luminous gemstones and pearls. The naturalistic representations suggest that there were real models for the treasures.

Madonna im Rosenhag

Stefan Lochner, Madonna im Rosenhag , around 1448, Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud

In addition to the altar works, Lochner's Madonna in the Rosenhag (also: Mother of God in the Rose Arbor) is one of his most famous works. The viewer has the chance to take a look at heaven, heavenly paradise. It was created around 1445, possibly still in 1451, and is now in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne . Presumably, we see Lochner's last surviving work in this work, i.e. from the ripe period of his art. It is about 50 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide and was painted on oak using mixed media.

The central figure is Maria , sitting in front of a lawn bench, wrapped in a bright blue-shaded coat , leaning against a triangle, with her head protruding slightly from the axis, which gives the picture a dynamic. The triangular motif of the brocade curtain consequently completes the composition system at the top. The mantle of Mary is painted in precious lapis lazuli blue. Countless shades of blue can be seen here. The layers of paint are applied with the finest brush and give the picture its luminosity and an almost unearthly aura. Mary is represented here as the kings of heaven and has been awarded the bow crown. The baby Jesus is on her lap , holding an apple in her hand - symbol of the overcoming of original sin through Christ's death on the cross. Winged angels (or putti ) frame the figure of the Madonna with the child. Four angels seated in the foreground play music. The wings of the second angel on the left, holding a lute , are reminiscent of the feathers of a peacock. The peacock is, among other things, a symbol of the resurrection and thus a symbol of Christ. In addition, his thousand eyes were interpreted as a sign of God's omniscience.

Three angels on the left symbolize the heavenly, the Trinity, separated from the right, where four angels crouch - four is the number of the four elements water, earth, air and fire; these angels stand for the earthly. Together, the angels surrounding Mary make the number seven - the number that connects earth and heaven.

It is noticeable that Mary's head is tilted slightly to the right - a symbol of virgin conception. The seed of God (represented by a white dove, it symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who brings the seed sent by God) is received through the ear according to contemporary thinking. The inclination of Mary's head to the right is a very common and striking element in portraits of Mary and symbolizes the immaculate conception . The apple of the baby Jesus is to be named as the key scene or optical center, it is handed to him by an angel, this connection to the earthly (the four angels) symbolizes the predestination of Jesus - he will go an earthly path, he is mortal.

The unicorn brooch of Mary (description of symbols in the main article) and the heavenly crown, which is the sign of her royal dignity, are also of symbolic importance . The golden brooch is also the center of the picture.

The flowers, in particular, are Marian symbols : the Madonna sits on a carpet of strawberries that continue on the lawn benches. Because of its red color, this plant is a reminder of the Passion of Christ. The three-part leaves refer to the Trinity . Due to their ability to flower and fruit at the same time, strawberries are also a symbol of virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

Behind the figure of Mary there are also Madonna lilies on the right , which, as symbols of purity, chastity and the immaculate conception, are among the most famous attributes of the Virgin Mary. The roses are of particular importance here. According to an ancient legend, before the fall of man, the rose had no thorns and since Mary was saved from original sin, it was called the "rose without thorns". As a result of this tradition, the image type of the "Rose Madonna" or "Madonna in the Rose Hag" spread. Lochner's picture is a typical example of the latter type, in which Mary sits surrounded by angels and saints in a rose arbor or in front of a rose bush.

The “Madonna in the Rose Hag” also corresponds to the type of the Madonna in the Paradise Garden, where she is enthroned as the Queen of Heaven with her child. As already described, this type of image is supported by the symbolic apple, the music-making angels and the gold background, which supports the impression of heavenly paradise.

World Judgment Altar

Last Judgment
Middle part of the Last Judgment altar

The piece made of oak with a size of 124 by 173 cm (middle part) was created around 1435 and is in the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne (Inv. No. WRM 66). It was acquired by FF Wallraf in 1803 when the Laurentiuskirche was dissolved. The inside of the wings, with 12 apostle martyrs, can be found in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main. They were also acquired by Thomas Jakob Tosetti on the occasion of the dissolution of the Laurentiuskirche in 1803. The work is painted on walnut wood using mixed media, has a size of 127 by 176 cm and was previously in St. Laurenz in Cologne, as was probably the middle section and the outer wing. The outer sides of the wing, which according to research opinions also belong to it, are exhibited in the old Pinakothek in Munich. They were originally also owned by Thomas Jacob Tosetti and were separated from the inside in 1812. Melchior Boisseree brought the outer wings to Munich in 1827. They were last shown in Cologne in 1936. They are also made of walnut wood with a size of 120 by 80.5 cm. The wings show the marshals of God: Antonius the Hermit , Pope Cornelius , Bishop Hubertus von Lüttich , Quirinus von Neuss and the saints Maria Magdalena and Katharina .

The central panel depicts what happened on Judgment Day, especially after the Apocalypse of John. Christ appears as the judge of the world on the double rainbow, to the side of him Mary and John the Baptist kneel as a Deesis group (intercessors). Christ turns to the right and has raised his right hand to bless the redeemed, while he lowers his left to the damned.

On the left edge of the picture, a large crowd of the redeemed, greeted by angels and accompanied by Peter, enters the heavenly paradise. Remarkable: the portative organ on the gallery of the heavenly gate is almost identical to the organ that the angel plays on the lower left of the work "Madonna im Rosenhang" described above.

On the right side of the picture, the train of the moaning damned comes to the front from the center of the picture. Devils have surrounded the group, lead and drag them to the right to the Hellmouth. While in the left half of the picture a rich green fauna covers the ground, the earth on the right is bare. Pope, cardinal, bishop, king, monk, patrician and citizen are represented on both sides. Heaven and Hell are characterized by buildings, Gothic architecture for Heaven, Romanesque, burning buildings for Hell. In the foreground, like a paraphrase, the vices for which one is condemned are presented. You can see whore, Völler, Prasser, gambler and drinker with the respective characteristics.

Madonna with the violet

Madonna with the violet
Violet Madonna

The Madonna with the Violet, oil painting on wood before 1450, is now in the Kolumba Museum in Cologne. The dimensions of 211 × 99 cm seem to exclude a private devotional image as well as an altarpiece. Before that it was in the Church of St. Cäcilien , probably on a central nave pillar.

Elisabeth von Reichenstein (born around 1408, abbess from 1443, died 1486), the last head of the Cäcilienstift in Cologne, commissioned the painting from Lochner. Through the heraldic shields, heraldically on the right that of the father Wilhelm von Reichenstein, on the left that of the mother Irmgard von Hammerstein, clearly identified, she kneels at the feet of the royal clad Mother of God. The coats of arms do not have the usual expensive heraldic jewelry. Elisabeth wears a white bonnet and a fur-lined choir coat. Signs of dignity such as chain, pectoral cross, ring or staff, which could indicate her office as abbess, are missing. Elisabeth is best known for her fierce resistance to the conversion of her monastery into an Augustinian monastery for the nuns of the Weiher monastery, which was destroyed in 1474 . This was dedicated to the Mother of God, so that the content of the picture: "Elisabeth in front of Maria" has a special meaning in terms of its later use and location.

The prayer that unfolds on the writing tape above the founder is dedicated to the afterlife: “Sweet virgin, ask me for mercy from your child. Stand up for me that I watch you and find peace with you without end. ”The three upper banners contain quotes from the Bible that reflect the mood and praise Mary or virginity (Jer. 31.1; Ps. 131.14; Wis. 3,13). The basic tone with which the event is underlaid is provided by the violet in the left hand of Our Lady: It stands for humility. Nothing is known about the original destination of the panel painting. It is conceivable that it was made for the Marien altar in the south aisle of the collegiate church, which was already occupied in 1272.

Trivia

Memorial plaque in Meersburg Castle

Posthumously Lochner made headlines as an addressee of advertising mail. In April 2007, Deutsche Post AG tried to win the painter, who had been dead for 556 years, as a customer. Unsuccessful - the company received an answer from the Dompropst , with reference to the painter's death in 1451. A year before that, a credit card company tried to win Stefan Lochner's favor. At that time, he was offered a gold credit card through direct mail . The Neue Zürcher Zeitung also offered him a subscription. The Archdiocese of Cologne is since then on the assumption that the name and the Cologne Cathedral as the address by mistake in a database collected for advertising purposes.

The collapse of the Cologne City Archives in March 2009 initially meant the loss of all documents about the life of the master, see above: Identity, life dates and meaning of the work. However, all units were microfilmed long before the collapse and can be viewed online in the digital reading room of the city archive. Except for the documents relating to the election of the councilor and the construction of the plague cemetery, all other documents have now been identified in the original.

In Meersburg , his presumed birthplace, a street is named after him, as well as in Munich and in Cologne Neustadt. There is also a primary school named after Stefan Lochner .

Works

The pictures are not signed.

  • Altar of the Last Judgment , oak 124.2-124.5 × 172-173 cm, around 1435, Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
  • Madonna with the violet, oil on panel, before 1450, Kolumba, room 15, Cologne
  • Altar of the city patron , also called Dreikönigsaltar or Kölner Dombild (Cologne, Cologne Cathedral ), around 1445, three-part winged altar, originally painted for the town hall chapel.
  • Christ on the Cross or Crucifixion with Saints , 1439/40 (Gm 13), oak, 107.5 × 190.3 cm, Germanisches Nationalmuseum , Nuremberg
  • Adoration of the Child or the Birth of Christ , 1445 (Inv. No. 13169), oak, 37.5 × 23.6 cm; Mary with Child in front of the lawn bench , around 1440 (Inv. No. WAF 509), oak 37 × 28.3 cm; Exterior of the wing of the (Last Judgment Altar?), After 1435 (Inv. No. WAF 501 and 502), walnut wood, 120 × 80.6 cm; Alte Pinakothek , Munich
  • Two altar wings - The Martyrdoms of the Apostles, 1435–1440 (Inv. No. 821-832), walnut, dimensions of the tablets approx: 40 × 40 cm, (parts of the Last Judgment altar ?), Städelches Art Institute , Frankfurt am Main
  • Offering in the Temple , 1447, Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum , 139 × 126 cm
  • Offering in the Temple, 1445, (Inv.No. 272), oak, 37.6 × 23.7 cm, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum , Lisbon
  • Madonna im Rosenhag , oak wood 50.2-50.5 × 39.6-39.9 cm, approx. 1448, Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (inv.no.WRM 67)
  • Two wings of an altar , 1445–1451, National Gallery (Inv. No. 705), St. Matthew, Catherine, John the Evangelist, Hieronymus, Cordua? And Gregory the Great, London and Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (Inv. No. WRM 68 and 69), St. Mark, Barbara, Lukas, Ambrosius, Cäcilia? and Augustinus, Cologne
  • Two inner wings of a triptych: John the Evangelist and Maria Magdalena, 1445–1450, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen , Rotterdam
  • Saint Jerome in the case, wood, 39.5 × 30.5 cm, (Inv.No. G. 52.9.139), North Carolina Museum of Art , Raleigh USA. The work was previously owned by a Baroness Edith von Schröder and was shown in the Kölnischer Kunstverein in 1922 and in the Wallraff-Richards Museum in 1936.
  • 3 manuscripts were provided with book illuminations by Lochner. Characteristic of his work are spiral tendrils made of golden lilies, acanthus leaves and panicles with stylized flowers and fruits. A book of hours by Lochner was written in the Cologne dialect. It is now in the Darmstadt University and State Library. Another is in the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett. However, this is written in Latin. The third copy, a prayer book of the Prince of Salm-Salm, has been missing since the Lochner exhibition in 1936.

Works that probably come from Lochner or from his workshop

  • Donor picture of Heinrich Bemel, around 1450, ( Inv.No. 3994), parchment miniature, 27.7 × 17.8 cm, Kestner Museum , Hanover
  • Seated Mary with Child, around 1440, (Inv.No. 20698), pen drawing, 12.4 × 9.4 cm, Musée du Louvre. Department of Arts Graphiques, Paris
  • Adoration of the Child, around 1440/1450, (Inv. No. M2), small handkerchief painting on silk, 19.2 × 20.4 cm, Archbishop's Diocesan Museum , Cologne
  • Our Lady in the Garden of Paradise, triptych with Saints Paul and John the Evangelist, (Inv.No.WRM 70), oak wood, middle part 31.3 × 27.5 cm, wings each 30.6 × 10.3 cm, Wallraf-Richartz- Museum, Cologne
  • Saint Ursula, reverse: Saint Antonius Abbas, Saint Katharina, reverse: Saint Barbara, (Inv. No. WRM 828 and 829), oak, each 22 × 9 cm, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne

Exhibitions

literature

Overview:

Further literature:

  • JJ Merlo :  Lochner, Stephan . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 19, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1884, pp. 69-72 (outdated).
  • Eduard Firmenich-Richartz :  Lochner, Stephan . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 36, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1893, pp. 79-81 (outdated).
  • Ludwig Scheibler , Carl Aldenhoven (ed.): History of the Cologne School of Painting (= publications of the Society for Rhenish History. Vol. 13, ISSN  0930-8822 ). Nöhring, Lübeck 1902.
  • Otto H. Förster : Stefan Lochner, A painter to Cologne, 2nd edition, Prestel-Verlag KG Munich, Cologne 1941.
  • Manfred Wundram : Stefan Lochner. Madonna im Rosenhag (= work monographs on the fine arts. No. 106, ZDB -ID 2267951-0 = Reclams Universal Library B 9106). Reclam, Stuttgart 1965.
  • Wolfgang Schmid : Stefan Lochner's "Altar of the City Patron". On the history of a communal monument in Holy Cologne. In: Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch. Vol. 58, 1997, ISSN  0083-7105 , pp. 257-284.
  • Reinhard Liess : The Heisterbach Altar. An early work by Stefan Lochner. Universitäts-Verlag Rasch, Osnabrück 1998, ISBN 3-932147-56-1 .
  • Reinhard Liess: Stefan Lochner and Jan van Eyck . The influence of the Ghent Altarpiece on the altar of the Cologne city patron . In: Aachener Kunstblätter 1995/97, pp. 157–197.
  • Stephan Hoppe : Architectural style and time awareness in Stefan Lochner's painting. Use and role models. In: Claudia Euskirchen, Marco Kieser, Angela Pfotenhauer (eds.): Lecture hall, office and market place. Research and preservation of monuments in the Rhineland. Festschrift for Udo Mainzer for his 60th birthday (= Sigurd Greven Studies 6). Schnell und Steiner publishing house, Regensburg 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1766-X , pp. 57–70.
  • M. Krenn, C. Winterer: With brush and quill pen, history of medieval book painting, WBG, Darmstadt, 2009, ISBN 978-3-89678-648-7
  • Martin Schawe: Old Pinakothek. Catalog of the paintings on display, Volume 2, 2nd edition, Hatje Cantz Verlag, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-7757-3904-7
  • Hiltrud Kier: The Romanesque Churches in Cologne, 2nd edition, JP Bachem Verlag, Cologne 2014 ISBN 978-3-7616-2842-3
  • S. Kraus et al .: Kolumba Römisch-Germanisches Museum Pas de deux, 4th edition, Cologne 2018 ISBN 978-3-9818008-4-5
  • Manfred Wundram et al .: Stefan Lochner Madonna im Rosenhang, Universal Library No. B 9106, Reclam Verlag, Stuttgart 1965

Web links

Commons : Stefan Lochner  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Wolfson: Before "Stefan Lochner"? About the painter of the Cologne cathedral picture and the master of the Heisterbacher altar. In: Zehnder (Ed.): Stefan Lochner, Meister zu Köln. 1993, pp. 97-108.
  2. ^ Letter from the Cologne council to Meersburg . In: Kölner Stadtarchiv (Ed.): Briefbuch . 20A, A20. Cologne, S. 148 .
  3. ^ Election to councilor . In: Kölner Stadtarchiv (Ed.): Nomina Senatorum Coloniensium . C5, 30C. Cologne, S. 21 and 24v .
  4. ↑ Kölner Stadtarchiv (ed.): Acquisition of the Roggendrop house and the St. Alban house . Scab. 101, A453 and A468. Cologne, S. 133v. and 150v .
  5. ↑ Manfred Groten: Stefan Lochner in Cologne sources . In: Frank Günter Zehnder (Ed.): Stefan Lochner Meister zu Cologne . 4th edition. Hanstein Verlag, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-9801801-1-5 , p. 11 .
  6. ^ Festive decorations for the imperial visit in June 1442 . In: Kölner Stadtarchiv (Hrsg.): Cologne and the Reich department . Order 51 A415. Cologne.
  7. ↑ Notarisation of the construction of a plague cemetery in front of Lochner's house . In: Kölner Stadtarchiv (Ed.): Reversible a. Parchment. Order 1, U2 / 12361. Cologne.
  8. ↑ So: Michael Wolfson: Before “Stefan Lochner”? About the painter of the Cologne cathedral picture and the master of the Heisterbacher altar. In: Zehnder (Ed.): Stefan Lochner, Meister zu Köln. 1993, pp. 97-108.
  9. ^ Roberti de Monte Chronica in 1164, MGH 6, p. 513, 48; 2. Annales Isingrimmi maiores in 1168, MGH, Scriptores, 17 p. 314, 37; 3. William of Newburgh book 2, chapter 8; 4. Gilles of Orval, Gesta episcoporum Leodiensium, in 1250, MGH 25, p. 108, 57; 5. Ottonis Frisingensis chronica, MGH, Scriptores, 20, p. 310, 51; 6. Aegidius Gelenius : De admiranda sacra et civili magnitudine Coloniae Claudiae Agripinensis Augustae Ubiorum urbis , Cologne 1645, p. 233: & ferme integris corporibus, nervis, & cute arida ac impurribili conspicui sunt, ope, ut putatur, Balsami aliorumque Arabiae liquorum, quibus corpora curari olim mos fuit .
  10. ^ Johann Michael Fritz: Goldsmith's work drawn and painted on gold . In: Frank Günter Zehnder (Ed.): Stefan Lochner Meister zu Cologne . 4th edition. Hanstein-Verlag, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-9801801-1-5 , p. 133 .
  11. ↑ The Martyrs of the Apostles. Dr. Philipp Demandt, accessed on February 28, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Bodo Brinkmann: Beyond the model and the form of folds: Comments on Stefan Lochner's modernity . In: Frank Günter Zehnder (Ed.): Stefan Lochner Meister zu Cologne . 4th edition. Hanstein Verlag, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-9801801-1-5 , p. 90 .
  13. ↑ Ulrike Niederhofer: In times of heaven and hell. In: Südkurier , June 26, 2018.
personal data
SURNAME Lochner, Stefan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lochner, Stefan; Master Stefan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German painter
DATE OF BIRTH around 1410
PLACE OF BIRTH Meersburg
DATE OF DEATH 1451
Place of death Cologne