Verduner Altar
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The Verdun Altar , also known as the Klosterneuburg Altar , was made in 1181 by Nikolaus von Verdun . The enamel work , which is kept in Klosterneuburg Abbey , represents a high point of medieval goldsmithing , has a complicated content and is of great artistic importance.
History of origin
The original work by Nikolaus von Verdun was probably not an altar, but a pulpit cladding in the Romanesque collegiate church of Klosterneuburg. For this purpose - probably over a period of about 10 years (1171–1181) - 45 enamel panels ( fire-gilded copper plates with pit enamel ) were made and attached to a wooden support. The panels were commissioned by Provost Wernher (1168–1185), as can be seen from the dedication inscription. His predecessor, Provost Rudiger (1167–1168), who was related to the church reformer Gerhoch von Reichersberg and who studied the writings of the theologian Hugo von Saint-Victor , was probably responsible for the conceptual content .
The panels were only put together to form an altar in 1330/1331. After a fire in 1330, which destroyed large parts of the Klosterneuburg monastery, the provost at the time, Stephan von Sierndorf (1317–1335), had the panels brought to Vienna to have them converted into a winged altar. In order to make it possible to close the wings, the work was supplemented by six new, stylistically aligned panels, so that it now comprises a total of 51 panels. The back of the altar was decorated with four large tempera paintings.
description
Content program
The program is structured in three series and shows scenes from the Old Testament and New Testament . As the dedication inscription explains, the work is intended to illustrate the great importance of the Old Testament for understanding the New Testament. The history of salvation is divided into three ages:
- Ante legem - before the law (before the presentation of the 10 commandments to Moses )
- Sub lege - under the law (after giving the 10 commandments to Moses)
- Sub gratia - under grace (work of Christ).
The oldest age before the law (i.e. scenes from the Old Testament through Moses) is shown in the top row. The time under the law (i.e. scenes from the Old Testament according to Moses) is shown in the bottom row. In between, in the middle row, there are scenes from the New Testament, i.e. the time under grace.
Each scene from the New Testament is juxtaposed with scenes from the Old Testament above and below, which in a certain way already point to the work of Christ. The assumption that the scenes from the life of Jesus find an exact correspondence in events of the Old Testament is also known as typology . Therefore, three panels always belong together, creating a column.
Of the total of 17 columns, 15 follow this system - including the panels created in the 14th century (8th and 10th columns). In the last two columns of the right wing (16th and 17th columns), however, the typological program was rejected in the 12th century. Instead, the Last Judgment is presented .
Left wing:
| 1st column | 2nd column | 3rd column | 4th column |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annunciation of Isaac | Birth of Isaac | Circumcision of Isaac | Abraham and Melchizedech |
| Annunciation of Christ | Birth of Christ | Circumcision of Christ | Adoration of the Magi |
| Annunciation of Samson | Samson's birth | Samson's circumcision | Queen of Sheba with King Solomon |
Middle part:
| 5th column | 6th column | 7th column | 8th column | 9th column | 10th column | 11th column | 12th column | 13th column |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passage through the Red Sea | Entry of Moses into Egypt | King Melchizedech | Cain kills Abel | Sacrifice of Isaac | Adam and Eve | Joseph in the well | Death of the firstborn | Jacob's Blessing |
| Baptism of christ | Entry into Jerusalem | Last Supper | Judas kiss | Crucifixion of Christ | Descent from the Cross | Entombment of Christ | Descent into hell of Christ | Resurrection of Christ |
| Brazen sea | Easter Lamb | The manna in the golden vessel | Abner's assassination | Scouts with the grape | The king of Jericho is taken down from the gallows | Jonas in the body of the whale | Samson with the lion | Samson with the gates of Gaza |
Right wing:
| 14th column | 15th column | 16th column | 17th column |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapture of Enoch | Noah's Ark | Christ Pantocrator | Heavenly Jerusalem |
| Ascension of Christ | Pentecost miracle | Trumpet angel | Christ as judge |
| Elias in the fiery chariot | Legislation to Moses | Raising the dead | hell |
style
From an artistic and technical point of view, the Verdun Altarpiece is an absolute masterpiece. Stylistically, the panels are still influenced by Byzantine art , but the physicality of the figures shows a strong influence from ancient models. The figures are shown in motion and anatomically correct. In addition, there is a hint of emotional impulses, which was unusual for the 12th century. The very demanding process of pit smelting technology ( enamel champlevé ) was also carried out here at a very high level by Nikolaus von Verdun. Although the backgrounds are mostly bluish, the artist used every opportunity to create attractive color transitions with multiple shades. In terms of artistic quality, the work is most likely to find a parallel in the Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne .
Backs of the Verdun Altar
A as a master of the back of the Verdun Altar designated Gothic painter has created to 1330/1331 the images on the back of the altar. These are among the oldest surviving examples of panel painting north of the Alps and were connected to the enamel panels of Nicholas of Verdun when they were converted into a winged altar. It was not until the 20th century that they were separated from them again for conservation reasons. On the middle part the death of Mary is depicted on the left and the coronation of Mary on the right . On the left side wing is the depiction of the crucifixion of Christ , on which Provost Stephan von Sierndorf also had his founder portrait attached. The right side wing shows the resurrection of Christ , whereby the representations of the three Marys at the grave and the Noli me tangere scene have been combined in one picture. Stylistically, the paintings are influenced by both French (figure composition, drapery) and Italian (architectural elements, iconographic details).
literature
- Hans Rupprich: The Klosterneuburger Tafelwerk of Nikolaus von Virdunensis and its composition. In: Yearbook of the Austrian. Leo Society. 1931, p. 146ff.
- Bernd Fäthke : The masters of the Klosterneuburg altar. Dissertation, Marburg 1972.
- Helmut Buschhausen : The Verdun Altar. The enamel work of Nikolaus von Verdun in Klosterneuburg Abbey. Vienna 1980.
- Martina Pippal : Observations on the “second” Easter morning plate at the Klosterneuburg ambo by Nicolaus von Verdun. In: Wiener Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte. 1982, pp. 107-119.
- Erika Doberer: The former pulpit parapet of Nikolaus von Verdun in the Augustinian Canons Monastery of Klosterneuburg. In: Yearbook of Klosterneuburg Abbey. Volume 12, 1983, pp. 19-36.
- Floridus Röhrig : The Verdun Altar and the eschatology. In: Yearbook of Klosterneuburg Abbey. Volume 12, 1983, pp. 7-17.
- Friedrich Dahm: Studies on the iconography of the Klosterneuburger enamel work of Nicolaus von Verdun. Vienna 1989.
- Martina Pippal : Content and form with Nicolaus von Verdun. Comments on the Klosterneuburg ambo. In: Studies on the history of European sculpture in the 12./13. Century. Frankfurt am Main 1994, pp. 367-380.
- Arwed Arnulf: Studies on the Klosterneuburger Ambo and the theological sources of pictorial typologies from late antiquity to 1200. In: Wiener Jahrbuch für Kunstgeschichte. Volume 48, 1995, pp. 19-23.
- Floridus Röhrig: The Verdun Altar. Klosterneuburg 2004.
- Martina Pippal: The function of the “schedula” and the role of technology in the construction of reality using the example of the enamel work of Nicolaus von Verdun in Klosterneuburg. In: Between handicrafts and art. The “Schedula diversarum artium”. Edited by Andreas Speer , Maxime Maurège, Hiltrud Westermann-Angerhausen (= Miscellanea Mediavalia. Publications of the Thomas Institute of the University of Cologne 37). De Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2014, ISBN 978-3-11-033477-7 , pp. 163–180, plates 27-23.
Web links
- Klosterneuburg Abbey. Verduner Altar. In: werbeka.com.
- The Verdun Altar. In: stift-klosterneuburg.at.
- Klosterneuburg Altarpiece. In: warburg.sas.ac.uk, Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (photos of all panels of the Klosterneuburg Altar with iconographic description; English).