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Late Medieval German Sculpture: Images for the Cult and for Private Devotion

• 
  Bust of the Virgin, ca. 1390–95
  Bohemia
  Terracotta with polychromy

  12 13/16 x 8 13/16 x 5 7/16 in. (32.5 x 22.4 x 13.8 cm)
  The Cloisters Collection, 2005 (2005.393)

• 
  Pietà (Vesperbild), ca. 1400
  Bohemian
  Limestone

  15 x 15 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (38.1 x 39.1 x 14 cm)
  The Cloisters Collection, 2001 (2001.78)

• 
  Christ on the Road to Calvary, ca. 1440
  Follower of the Master of the Lorsch Calvary
  German (Middle Rhineland)
  Alabaster

  7 7/16 x 11 7/16 in. (18.8 x 29 cm)
  Inscribed: + o · mensch · sich · disiv(?) · figur · an · was · got · durch · dich · hot · geton · des · soltan · im · danchen · sicherlich · so · git · er · dir · sin · himelrich. ("O mankind, behold this figure; what God has done for you should be kept in your thoughts, for thus he gives you his heavenly kingdom.")
  The Cloisters Collection, 1996 (1996.581)

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The Carved Altarpiece
Although in great demand in Central Europe in the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century, very few carved altarpieces have survived intact. The destruction of religious images during the Protestant Reformation, along with neglect, changes in taste, fire, and the secularization of ecclesiastic institutions account for this loss. Many figures and reliefs in museum collections are merely fragments of elaborate, monstrance-like structures, which served as a focus for liturgy, veneration, and pilgrimage.

The destruction of religious images during the Protestant Reformation, along with neglect, changes in taste, fire, and the secularization of ecclesiastic institutions account for this loss.

Related

Cited Works of Art or Images (2)

• 
• 

Timelines (1)

• Central Europe (including Germany), 1000–1400 A.D.

Primary Thematic Essays (6)

• Art for the Christian Liturgy in the Middle Ages
• Gothic Art
• Late Medieval German Sculpture
• Late Medieval German Sculpture: Materials and Techniques
• Late Medieval German Sculpture: Polychromy and Monochromy
• Medieval European Sculpture for Buildings

Other Thematic Essays (10)

• The Crucifixion and Passion of Christ in Italian Painting
• The Cult of the Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages
• The Face in Medieval Sculpture
• Gerard David (born about 1455, died 1523)
• Life of Jesus of Nazareth
• List of Rulers of Europe
• Northern Mannerism in the Early Sixteenth Century
• Painting the Life of Christ in Medieval and Renaissance Italy
• Private Devotion in Medieval Christianity
• The Reformation

Maps (2)

• Europe, 1000–1400 a.d.
• World, 1000–1400 a.d.

Index Terms (16)

Artist

• Master of the Lorsch Calvary (German)
• Riemenschneider, Tilman (German, 1460–1531, active in Wurzburg, 1483–1525)
• Workshop of Master Tilman (German, active late 15th century)

Geography/Place

• Central Europe
• European Medieval Art

Material and Technique

• Sculpture in the Round from Central Europe

Object

• Altarpiece

Subject Matter/Theme

• Baptism of Christ
• Christian Architecture
• Christian Book
• Christian Diptypch
• Christian Icon
• Christian Painting
• Christian Personal Ornament
• Christian Plaque
• Christian Sculpture in the Round

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The altarpiece, which traditionally combined sculpted figures with an architectural encasement, consisted of four main elements. The central section, or corpus, housed figures arranged either side by side or in a unified composition. It was flanked by hinged wings, decorated with reliefs, which were open on Sundays and most holy days. The predella, or base, which often contained sculpture, raised the corpus above the altar and gave it greater prominence. A tall superstructure with intricate tracery and additional figures surmounted the corpus. Retables were costly undertakings that often resulted from the collaboration of several individuals: a sculptor, a joiner, an ironmonger, and, in the case of a polychrome altarpiece, a painter.

Images for Private Devotion
By 1300 emerged a form of spirituality that emphasized the emotional involvement of the faithful. Believers were encouraged to contemplate events from the life of Christ, the Virgin, or the saints, as if they had been present at such events. Besides attending the celebration of the Eucharist at church, the devout were expected to retire for prayer several times a day to a private chapel, monastic cell, or simply a corner of one's home. Images, usually modest in scale, helped in these meditations, since they made tangible the object of prayer. Reflecting the wealth and rank of the individual owner, they were produced in every medium, from paper to gold. The rapport with the image was an intimate one: typically kneeling, the devout recited prayers while gazing at the image, and could light candles in front of it, caress it, and kiss it. Groups of the Virgin and Child and scenes from Christ's Passion (Christ on the Road to Calvary, 1996.581; Pietà, 2001.78) were among the most popular images for private devotion. A sculptor's attention to detail and the corporeality of his figures increased the immediacy of the image as a focus of veneration.

Julien Chapuis Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation Chapuis, Julien. "Late Medieval German Sculpture: Images for the Cult and for Private Devotion". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grmn_4/hd_grmn_4.htm (October 2002) Further Reading Baxandall, Michael. The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980. Chapuis, Julien. Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages. Exhibition catalogue. Washington, D.C.: The National Gallery of Art, 1999. Gothic and Renaissance Art in Nuremberg, 1300–1550. Exhibition catalogue. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions) Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Wixom, William D. "Late Medieval Sculpture in the Metropolitan, 1400 to 1530." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 64, no. 4 (Spring, 2007). Wixom, William D. "Medieval Sculpture: At The Cloisters." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 46, no. 3 (Winter, 1988–89). JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Director's Note" PDF "Introduction" PDF Husband, Timothy. "A Beautiful Madonna in the Cloisters Collection." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 28, no. 6 (February, 1970). JSTOR | PDF Bier, Justus. "Riemenschneider's Helpers in Need." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 21, no. 10 (June, 1963). JSTOR | PDF Forsyth, William H. "Saint Eloi and King Clothar." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 4, no. 5 (January, 1946) JSTOR | PDF