Valentin Oeckler

Valentin Oeckler (born November 26, 1854 in Sylbach , † October 19, 1940 in Nuremberg ) was a German art sculptor .

Life

Altar by Valentin Oeckler in the church of Greßhausen , 1891

Valentin Oeckler was born the twin son of the carpenter couple Ehrhardt Oeckler and his wife Dorothea, née Grebner. His twin brother Johann Andreas died on the same day. Valentin Oeckler may have learned the carpentry trade from his father. He was married to Barbara Will, who died in 1913. In 1915 he married Franziska, b. Deuerlein, divorced stream. In 1878 he settled in Nuremberg after having worked in several studios in Munich. In Nuremberg he founded the "Institute for Church Art and Applied Arts Oeckler & Hild" with a partner. From 1897 Oeckler worked alone. The studio mainly produced church objects such as altars, figures or crucifixes in the historicist style, but also art furniture for private individuals as a wholeFranconian area . Oeckler also worked as an illustrator at times.

At the turn of the century he also turned to a new art direction, Art Nouveau . From 1902 he took part in the first master class for Art Nouveau under Peter Behrens at the Bavarian Trade Museum in Nuremberg . Three more courses followed with Professor Richard Riemerschmid , Paul Haustein and Professor Friedrich Adler . The art objects and furniture were regularly presented to the public in exhibitions. He became a sought-after Art Nouveau artist in Nuremberg. In the meantime he spent two years as director and teacher at a wood carving school in the Menalo Mountains in Arcadia on the Greek peninsula of Peloponnese. The wood carving art of this area was known throughout Greece. The wood carving school, which was temporarily run by Germany, was even mentioned in contemporary travel guides. Oeckler was a member of the "Künstlerverein", today's Albrecht Dürer Society, and of the "Freie Sezession eV Nürnberg" (Free Secession Association). He was artistically active into old age and died as a professor and honorary master of the Franconian craft. Since the historicist style was not valued very much for a long time and many works from this period disappeared from the churches, it is difficult to compile a complete catalog of Oeckler's works.

Works (selection)

Orion273, vase, artist: Valentin Oeckler, ceramic: Vilmos Zsolnay

• 1891: Main altar and side altars, Maria vom Sieg pilgrimage church in Greßhausen , Haßberge district.
• around 1891: Large figures of Johannes, Maria and a Christ, St. Jobst Church, Erlenstegen near Nuremberg.
• 1896–1898: Illustrator for the magazine "Jugendlust".
• 1900: Sculpture on a 4.80 m high art clock for the world exhibition in Paris.
• 1902: Neo-Gothic altar, St. Nikolaus and Ulrich church, Nuremberg-Mögeldorf.
• 1903–1905: Designer at the arts and crafts metal goods factory ORION .
• 1904/05: Sculpture work during the renovation of the large hall in the old town hall in Nuremberg
• 1907: Altar, church of Gemünda, district of Coburg.
• 1910: Figures Tilly and Nusch for the art clock Meistertrunk at the Ratstrinkstube on the market square in Rothenburg od Tauber.
• 1910: Participation in the Brussels World's Fair .
• 1917: Large crucifix for the Hohenzollern burial place in the park of Klein-Glienicke near Potsdam.
• 1924: Magnificent replica of the famous " Nuremberg Madonna " on an artful console, painting and sculpture collection of the city of Nuremberg .
• Other: Figure daughter of Jephtha , art furniture, jewelery box for Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, ceiling lighting in the state hall of the trade museum, Nuremberg Madonna .

Literature (selection)

• Dr. Albert, Konrad: Greßhausen - history of a Franconian village. Published by the municipality of Gädheim, Benedict-Press, Münsterschwarzach, 1996.
• Grieb, Manfred: Nuremberg artist lexicon. KG Saur, 2007
• Pese, Claus: Art Nouveau from Nuremberg - art, craftsmen, industrial culture. Arnoldsche Art Publisher, Stuttgart, 2007

swell

• Fränkischer Kurier, December 21, 1926, p. 4 (Nuremberg City Archives)
• Franconian daily newspaper, January 4, 1934 (Nuremberg City Archives)
• Franconian Courier, October 25, 1940, p. 6 (Nuremberg City Archives)
• Auction catalogs at Auktionshaus Bamberger, Nuremberg