Portrait of the Architect Mathes (Matthäus) Roriczer

This lifelike portrait by Hans Holbein the Elder brings us face-to-face with the master mason Mathes Roriczer. Descended from a dynasty of architects, Roriczer was active at, and ran, some of the most prominent building sites in southern Germany. He also wrote several books related to his work. They were the first of their kind to be published in his mother tongue rather than Latin, and the first of any architectural publication to be illustrated. Despite these accomplishments, few will recognize his name today. In this respect, Roriczer represents hundreds of Gothic architects who made vital contributions to the field of architecture over nearly four centuries of building history.