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Seated Bishop

ca. 1495
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 20
Late medieval limewood sculptors in SouthGermany, of whom Tilman Riemenschneider was one of the most gifted, adopted the practice of allowing the sculptures of large altarpieces to go unpainted. They chose instead to stain a few details in black, such as the eyes in this figure, and to finish the surface with a clear glaze. The lack of attributes makes the identification of this bishop uncertain, but his seated position may indicate that he represents one of the four Church Fathers, either Saint Augustine or Saint Ambrose, the only two with the rank of bishop. The scale and the positioning of the head indicate that the figure occupied the left side of a central shrine of a small altarpiece possibly dedicated to these early leaders of the Church. Although it is actually a high relief, this sculpture conveys a striking sense of volume through a rich play of interconnecting curves. The sensitive and descriptive rendering of the elderly face achieves both psychological depth and spiritual weight.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seated Bishop
  • Artist: Tilman Riemenschneider (German, 1460–1531)
  • Date: ca. 1495
  • Geography: Made in Würzburg, Lower Franconia
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Limewood and gray-black stain
  • Dimensions: 35 1/2 x 14 x 5 7/8 in. (90.2 x 35.6 x 14.9 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Wood
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1970
  • Object Number: 1970.137.1
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Seated Bishop

Gallery 20

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