The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, December 1883Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
History
The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, December 1883
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
The monuments of the time are mainly very superior. Among them may be
mentioned that of Emperor Henry II. and his consort by Riemenschneider,
the marble monument of Bishop Rudolph von Schrenburg in the Würtzburg
cathedral, and the marble memorial to the Emperor Frederic III. in
Vienna. The celebrated school of metal works of Nuremberg flourished
during this period. The best known representatives belonged to the
family of Vischer, and in Peter Vischer the most complete artistic
development was reached. The earliest work, by Hermann Vischer in 1457,
was the bronze baptismal font in Wittenberg. Peter, his son, began his
work on the tomb of Archbishop Ernst in Magdeburg cathedral, but his
_chef d’œuvre_ was the tomb of St. Sebald in the church of that saint
at Nuremberg. Vischer and his five sons were engaged on this for eleven
years. The sarcophagus rests on a base elaborately wrought in relief, and
the whole is enclosed; the cover is composed of three arched canopies
supported on eight slender columns. The base, pillars and canopies are
wrought exquisitely; although the ornaments are profuse, yet a perfect
simplicity and purity of style is preserved. There are very many other
productions attributed to Vischer—a fine relief in the cathedral at
Regensborg, several tombs, and, as examples of his treatment of antique
designs, an Apollo at Nuremberg, and a relievo of Orpheus and Eurydice in
the Berlin Museum.
One of the most magnificent tombs of this period was that of the Emperor
Maximilian at Innsbrück; several of its figures were from Peter Vischer’s
hands. Twenty-eight colossal bronze statues of the ancestors of the
imperial house and of heroes surrounded the monument. Besides these there
were a large number of gracefully poised female figures, and twenty-three
figures of the patron saint of the House of Austria. The whole was
surmounted by a marble cenotaph on which a figure of the Emperor knelt.
Several artists were engaged on this monument. The sculptures of this
period in other countries are not very prominent. In France there was
considerable attention given to plastic art. Many fine choir-screens have
been preserved, and some exceedingly rich tombs. Among the latter are
the monuments of Louis XII. and his wife (1530), of Francis I. (1552),
and of Henry II. (1583), all in the church of St. Denis in Paris. A
set of artists who were engaged on the decorations of the palace of
Fontainebleau was known as “the Fontainebleau school.” The leader of this
group was Jean Goujon. The sculpture of Spain during this period followed
largely the Italian schools. The most lavish treatment is visible in the
decorations of the churches, particularly in the altars. The high altar
of the cathedral at Toledo is one of the most costly and ornate of its
time (about 1500).
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