DOCSLIB.ORG

Hermen Rode: the Painter of Medieval Lübeck and His Art Production

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hermen Rode: the Painter of Medieval Lübeck and His Art Production chapter 11 Hermen Rode: The Painter of Medieval Lübeck and His Art Production Anja Rasche1 Written sources record that Hermen Rode worked as a painter in the medieval free imperial city of Lübeck. As yet, we have no exact knowledge of how many painters worked simultaneously in Lübeck in the second half of the 15th century: Estimates lie between 20 and 40 self-employed masters.2 As was customary for all craftsmen’s trades, the painter’s work was regulated by the statutes of the guild, which in Lübeck was known as the ‘Amt’, or of- fice. The statutes were written on parchment before 1425, supplemented in 1474 and are now preserved as the ‘Maler und Glasewerterrolle [Role of Painters and Glaziers]’ in the archive of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.3 The statutes and the quality of the wrought products were guarded by the aldermen of the of- fice, which was itself answerable to the city council. Research on the life and works of Hermen Rode has as yet stood in the shadow of his more famous contemporary and rival Bernt Notke.4 By study- ing the sources for the works of Notke and taking into account the results of restorations, Kerstin Petermann5 has called into question whether he actually worked as a sculptor. Moreover, Peter Tångeberg has convincingly argued that Notke did not create the group depicting St. George with the dragon that is 1 This contribution summarizes the results of my dissertation on Hermen Rode, which I wrote under Prof. Robert Suckale’s supervision, defended at the Technische Universität Berlin in 2011 and published in 2014 – Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode. Thanks a lot to Anne Clart for her translation. 2 Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode, p. 40. 3 Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode, pp. 34–37, transcription and High German translation by Dieter Möhn: pp. 254–246. 4 Rasche, “Hermen Rode – ein Zeitgenosse Bernt Notkes und sein Konkurrent?” When search- ing for literature in the catalogue of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (www.kubikat. org), which contains both books and articles, the following picture appeared in June 2015: 133 entries for Bernt Notke, 16 for Hermen Rode. 5 Petermann, Bernt Notke. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004393776_012 Hermen Rode 307 displayed in Stockholm,6 a work that has been central to art historians’ apprais- als of him. The works that records prove are certainly associated with Notke7 vary so wildly in style and quality that it remains unclear what tasks and func- tions Bernt Notke performed in the workshop. Hermen Rode, meanwhile, is a very different case: His paintings exhibit great unity and a sustained quality. The name ‘Rode‘ can be found in Lübeck sources beginning in the 13th century. Although we know neither Hermen Rode’s date nor place of birth, records and a presumed familial relationship with a goldsmith of the same name strongly indicate that he originated in Lübeck.8 The earliest altarpiece that can be attrib- uted to him is the former high altarpiece of Stockholm’s Storkyrkan Cathedral. An inscription states that it was produced in Lübeck in the year 1468.9 The archive of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck has preserved three of Hermen Rode’s wills, dated to 1485, 1494 and 1500.10 They reveal that his marriage to his wife Gertrud by all appearances remained childless. Art historians have taken the existence of several wills to conclude that Hermen Rode was sick for many years,11 but this interpretation is in need of revision. A will was not renewed because of longstanding illness, but because of changes like a shift in financial circumstances.12 The will of 1494, for example, was renewed because 6 Tångeberg, Wahrheit und Mythos – Bernt Notke; Tångeberg, “Ausweglose Forschung”; Richter, “Wer war Bernt Notke?” – a methodical approach based solely on comparisons of forms and motifs does not solve the problems and no longer appears up to date, Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode, p. 234. 7 Petermann, Bernt Notke – based on those works that text sources connect to Notke, of- fers a solid starting point for further studying the artist. It meticulously references and discusses the comprehensive scholarly literature. 8 Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode, p. 28. 9 An inscription is located underneath the many-figured crucifixion in the retable’s middle shrine, written with black stain on a gilded board: “Desse tafele wart rede gehe maket to lub do me schreff na xpi gehe bort mcccclxviii visitatsionis maria to den tiden veren vor wesere der kerken tom stok holm tideman neckovic/peckowe mester lawren”. The name of the church administrator was applied in another color and font. Compare Rasche, Stu- dien zu Hermen Rode, p. 170, Goldschmidt; Lübecker Malerei, p. 14; Tångeberg, Mittelalterli- che Holzskulpturen, p. 227. The designation “Österåkerretabel” is misleading and ignores the historical context. The retable was produced for the high altar of Storkyrkan Cathe- dral in Stockholm and later moved to Österåker only briefly, before being moved to the Swedish History Museum – compare Hoffmann, Lübecker Tafelmalerei, pp. 416–422. 10 Rode’s will from 1485 is printed in Rasche, Studien zu Hermen Rode, p. 256. 11 According to Albrecht, Corpus der mittelalterlichen Holzskulptur und Tafelmalerei, Cat. No. *22: Schinkelretabel, p. 535. 12 Compare the Lübecker wills to Meyer’s thorough study Lübecks Gesellschaft..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • HNA April 11 Cover-Final.Indd
    historians of netherlandish art NEWSLETTER AND REVIEW OF BOOKS Dedicated to the Study of Netherlandish, German and Franco-Flemish Art and Architecture, 1350-1750 Vol. 28, No. 1 April 2011 Jacob Cats (1741-1799), Summer Landscape, pen and brown ink and wash, 270-359 mm. Hamburger Kunsthalle. Photo: Christoph Irrgang Exhibited in “Bruegel, Rembrandt & Co. Niederländische Zeichnungen 1450-1850”, June 17 – September 11, 2011, on the occasion of the publication of Annemarie Stefes, Niederländische Zeichnungen 1450-1850, Kupferstichkabinett der Hamburger Kunsthalle (see under New Titles) HNA Newsletter, Vol. 23, No. 2, November 2006 1 historians of netherlandish art 23 S. Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904 Telephone/Fax: (732) 937-8394 E-Mail: [email protected] www.hnanews.org Historians of Netherlandish Art Offi cers President - Stephanie Dickey (2009–2013) Bader Chair in Northern Baroque Art Queen’s University Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada Vice-President - Amy Golahny (2009–2013) Lycoming College Williamsport, PA 17701 Treasurer - Rebecca Brienen University of Miami Art & Art History Department PO Box 248106 Coral Gables FL 33124-2618 European Treasurer and Liaison - Fiona Healy Seminarstrasse 7 D-55127 Mainz Germany Board Members Contents Dagmar Eichberger (2008–2012) HNA News ............................................................................1 Wayne Franits (2009–2013) Matt Kavaler (2008–2012) Personalia ............................................................................... 2 Henry Luttikhuizen (2009 and 2010–2014) Exhibitions
    [Show full text]
  • Research on Tallinn's Dance of Death and Mai Lumiste – Questions and Possibilities in the 20Th Century*
    KRISTA ANDRESON 96 1. Dance of Death in St Nicholas’ Church in Tallinn. Art Museum of Estonia, Niguliste Museum. Photo by Stanislav Stepaško. Tallinna Niguliste kiriku „Surmatants”. Eesti Kunstimuuseum, Niguliste muuseum. Foto Stanislav Stepaško. Research on Tallinn’s Dance of Death and Mai Lumiste – Questions and Possibilities in the 20th Century* Krista ANDRESON The aim of this article is to focus on the role of Mai Lumiste in the history of researching Tallinn’s Dance of Death, her points of departure, and those of her predecessors, and their methodological bases. When speaking of Lumiste’s contribution, the emphasis has always been on the fact that her positions were based on the technical studies conducted in Moscow between 1962 and 1965, which made the style assessment and iconographic analysis of the work possible for the first time. The literature also reflects the opinion that this research in Moscow confirmed the position that had been accepted until that time, i.e. that the author of the work was Bernt Notke. The following survey focuses on which positions formulated at that time were established on the basis of technical research and which issues still remain unresolved. Tallinn’s Dance of Death (Danse macabre) is undoubtedly the most famous medieval work of art in Estonia. It is a fragment painted on canvas. It is 7.5 metres high and 1.63 metres wide, and depicts 13 figures: the narrator of the story (a preacher) * The article was completed with the help of PUT 107 grant. The author thanks Juta Keevallik for her comprehensive critique of the article.
    [Show full text]
  • From Stockholm to Tallinn the North Between East and West Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, Tallinn, 28/6-6/7/18
    CHAIN Cultural Heritage Activities and Institutes Network From Stockholm to Tallinn the north between east and west Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, Tallinn, 28/6-6/7/18 Henn Roode, Seascape (Pastose II, 1965 – KUMU, Tallinn) The course is part of the EU Erasmus+ teacher staff mobility programme and organised by the CHAIN foundation, Netherlands Contents Participants & Programme............................................................................................................2 Participants............................................................................................................................3 Programme............................................................................................................................4 Performance Kalevala..............................................................................................................6 Stockholm................................................................................................................................10 Birka...................................................................................................................................11 Stockholm...........................................................................................................................13 The Allah ring.......................................................................................................................14 The Vasa.............................................................................................................................15
    [Show full text]
  • Rasanen Craft of the Connoisseur 2013
    THE CRAFT OF THE CONNOISSEUR BERNT NOTKE, SAINT ANNE AND THE WORK OF HANDS ELINA RÄSÄNEN Je ne crois pas voir ce que je vois, mais ce qui correspond aux réactions de mon corps. Simone Weil INTRODUCTION1 The corpus of the works of Bernt Notke (c. 1440–1509) is a subject of continu- ous lively discussions within the community of art historians who specialise in late medieval art. Many polychrome wood sculptures in the Baltic region have at some point in history been attributed to him, his workshop or his appren- tices, but most of these attributions have subsequently been rejected.2 A wood sculpture in the Turku (Åbo) Cathedral, in Finland, depicting St. Anne with the Virgin and Child, called Anna Selbdritt,3 was first attributed to Bernt Notke’s workshop by Runar Strandberg in 1936.4 It is one of those lesser known, or mar- ginal, works discussed in connection with Notke but, as an exception within this group of sculptures, it has not explicitly been discarded as part of his oeuvre. Instead, it has been somewhat ignored by most scholars for forty years. The sculpture in question represents a fairly standard composition for the motif: St. Anne is sitting and holding the Virgin Mary on her lap. The adolescent Mary, in turn, supports the naked Christ Child, who is reaching for something St. Anne is holding in her right hand, now lost (Fig. 1).5 The sculpture is 115 cm high, made of oak, and dates from the 1480s, according to its stylistic and icono- graphic features.6 No medieval documentation of this sculpture survives, which is the case with practically all of the medieval art extant in Finland.
    [Show full text]
  • 10 Locating the Body in Late Medieval Reval
    10 Locating the Body in Late Medieval Reval Elina Gertsman, Case Western Reserve University, and Elina Räsänen, University of Helsinki The city of which I want to tell you has a strange legend. Namely, the native inhabitants of Reval have passed on since the time immemorial a story of the Cathedral Hill as the seed of the city, erected there when the giantess Linda put down the mighty rock to mark a tombstone for her beloved, the strong Kalev. And so a grave stands as the foundation of this city (Bergengruen 1965: 11-12, trans. Elina Gertsman). If Gaston Bachelard was right, and the perceived immensity of space points not only to a body of impressions but also to the physical body that perceives certain places as limitless (1994: 181-89), what does it tell us about the lore that placed the medieval Livonian city of Tallinn (modern-day Estonia) atop and around the grave of the colossal body of the folk hero Kalev? Tallinn’s upper town, Toompea, is believed to be his tomb; by implication, the lower town, called Reval in the Middle Ages, subsists on the giant’s decomposed flesh, his bones forming the city’s very foundation. The body of the city, which rests on the immensity of Kalev’s body, is therefore simultaneously imaginary and physical, limitless and delineated. The body is an essential trope in the mythology of any city, and medieval Reval was constituted through the intersection of various kinds of bodies— political, social, narrative, and represented. A key limb in the merchant body of the Hanseatic League, for which the town of Lübeck served as the administrative head, Reval was mapped by its inhabitants whose living bodies connected and defined social loci through commercial, devotional, and civic activity.
    [Show full text]
  • Dannebrog 800 the Story of Denmark and Estonia
    DANNEBROG 800 THE STORY OF DENMARK AND ESTONIA 1 TEXTS: IVAR LEIMUS, THOMAS 06 INTRODUCTION LYNGBY, AIN MÄESALU, PER SEESKO, by METTE SKOUGAARD METTE SKOUGAARD, UNIVERSITY OF TARTU (HELEN LIIVER, MARI- 09 DENMARK AND ESTONIA TODAY LIIS SCHMIDT and MAARJA-HELEN by THE ESTONIAN INSTITUTE and THE UNIVERSITY OF TARTU TAMM), THE ESTONIAN INSTITUTE 17 ESTONIA BEFORE 1219 TRANSLATION AND EDITING: by AIN MÄESALU ERIKA JERET, ROGER EVANS 26 WARRING FOR GOD – THE BALTIC CRUSADES GRAPHIC DESIGN AND by METTE SKOUGAARD ILLUSTRATIONS: MOONIKA MAIDRE 33 ESTONIA UNDER DANISH RULE 1219–1346 Published by The Estonian Institute by PER SEESKO and Tallinn City Museum 2019 41 ESTONIA DURING THE RULE OF DANISH KINGS by IVAR LEIMUS ISBN 978-9949-558-47-6 49 DANNEBROG. RELIGION, KINGDOM, NATION AND DEMOCRACY by THOMAS LYNGBY 55 DANNEBROG AND THE HISTORY OF THREE LIONS IN ESTONIA by IVAR LEIMUS 3 Christian August Lorentzen (1746 – 1828). The Dannebrog Falls from the Sky During the “Valdemar Battle“ at Lyndanisse 15 June 1219. 1809. Oil. National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen. 4 5 INTRODUCTION METTE SKOUGAARD, Director of The Museum of National History, Frederiksborg Castle According to legend, the ”Danne- The turbulent beginning of the brog” fell from the sky during relation between the two nations the battle of Lyndanise in 1219, have long since been replaced with 800 years ago. The battle was the friendship, and in 2019 we can join starting point of a period of 127 in the celebration of the anniver- years, where Estonia and Denmark sary of the Dannebrog. had the same kings. Though 800 years may seem like a long time It is our hope that that through our ago, the relations established then joint projects specialists as well as have shown a strong impact on the general public, will enhance our both nations.
    [Show full text]
  • Proto-Nationalism in Scandinavia: Swedish State Building in the Middle Ages
    PROTO-NATIONALISM IN SCANDINAVIA: SWEDISH STATE BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE AGES By Alexander Jacobson Honors Thesis Spring 2021 Professor Katherine Smith and Professor Doug Sackman University of Puget Sound Jacobson 1 Introduction Before Gustav Vasa—or Gustav I of Sweden—established a new hereditary monarchy and Swedish state in the early sixteenth century, following the collapse of the Kalmar Union (1397-1523), Swedish kings had already developed a long tradition of invoking the Legend of St. Erik the Holy throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to legitimize their rule over the proto-nation of Sweden. 1 Since St. Erik was the former King of Sweden during the Baltic Crusades—who expanded the Swedish kingdom into Finland and Estonia—his royal lineage, in combination with his representation as the protector of the realm, contributed to the martyrization of St. Erik and his popular association as the hero of the realm. Additionally, in the fifteenth century members of the Swedish clergy at the see of Uppsala would even craft mythologized histories and invoke the Legend of St. Erik by pointing to proto-national themes such as common descent and common history to justify what they perceived as the need for an independent Sweden. However, for most religious legends about saints, many historians struggle with deciphering between fact and fiction. This is due to a myriad of difficulties—one being the ability to acquire validated medieval texts that confirm key aspects of the legend. Similarly, for most of Swedish history, the facts of the legend of Saint Erik were elusive to many historians despite his popular representation as a national icon and the protectorate of the Swedish realm.
    [Show full text]
  • The Black Death and Its Effect on Fourteenth- and Fifteenth-Century Art
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2007 The lB ack Death and its effect on fourteenth- and fifteenth-century art Anna Louise DesOrmeaux Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation DesOrmeaux, Anna Louise, "The lB ack Death and its effect on fourteenth- and fifteenth-century art" (2007). LSU Master's Theses. 1641. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/1641 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE BLACK DEATH AND ITS EFFECT ON FOURTEENTH- AND FIFTEENTH-CENTURY ART A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in The School of Art by Anna L. DesOrmeaux B.A., Louisiana State University, 2004 May 2007 To my parents, Johnny and Annette DesOrmeaux, who stressed the importance of a formal education and supported me in every way. You are my most influential teachers. ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Mark Zucker, my advisor with eagle eyes and a red sword, for his indispensable guidance on any day of the week. I also thank Drs. Justin Walsh, Marchita Mauck, and Kirsten Noreen, who have helped me greatly throughout my research with brilliant observations and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • Occupied Europe and German Art Historiography: Methodology and Morals
    Occupied Europe and German art historiography: methodology and morals Review of: Kunstgeschichte in den besetzten Gebieten 1939-1945, edited by Magdalena Bushart, Agnieszka Gasior and Alena Janatkova. Cologne/Weimar/Vienna: Böhlau, 2016, 327 pages, b/w illustrations, ISBN-10: 978-3-412-50168-6, € 45,00. Arnold Witte In the late 1970s, German art historiography finally began to tackle a thorny subject that had been pending for over two decades: the state of the discipline during the Fascist era and the involvement of its practitioners in the political discourse of dominion and dictatorship. Since then, an avalanche of edited volumes and studies has reported on these academic and moral inquiries. Publishers have launched entire series dedicated to the subject, such as Forschungen zu Kunst und Kunstgeschichte im Nationalsozialismus, of which the book reviewed here is the second volume. The focus on the development of art history during the Third Reich was a logical response to prior historiographies that either avoided the subject altogether or focused solely on theoretical developments from an internalist perspective. The latter had resulted in contested parallels between emigrant art historians such as Erwin Panofsky and regime-supporting academics such as Dagobert Frey, thought of as 'adopting similar methods' as Udo Kultermann wrote in 1966 – on the basis of Frey's own post-1945 evaluation of the field.1 After several studies on individual art historians – such as Marlite Halbertsma's work on Wilhelm Pinder2 – Heinrich Dilly was the first, in 1988, to dedicate a comprehensive study to art historians active between 1933 and 1945, dealing with the phenomenon from an institutional and statistical perspective.3 He discussed the numerical growth of the field thanks to nationalist and expansionist policies, and the involvement of many academics in 'intellectual warfare'; but he also stated that little was known of the practical workings of many art history institutes.
    [Show full text]
  • CLARA Special Issue 2020 No. 1 K
    CLARA Special issue 2020 No. 1 K. Kausland CLARA SPECIAL ISSUE 2020 No. 1 Setting the Stage, Framing the Picture; the Gilding and Polychromy of Late Medieval Altarpiece Structures in the North Kristin Kausland Abstract. The gilding and polychromy of the structural parts of altarpieces have largely been overlooked in art historical studies. However, these specific designs were important elements in the framing of the sculptural and painted content of the altarpiece complex. This article provides a detailed art technological overview of the gilding and polychromy of the supporting elements of the whole corpus of Northern German altarpieces in Norway. It highlights the medieval craftsman’s use of sophisticated materials and techniques, and proves that, in addition to being secondary props, the shrine decorations bore important meanings in their own right, containing intrinsic material and aesthetical values. Furthermore, the study found both change and continuity in the specific craftmanship throughout the late medieval period. Changes in the layering and three-dimensional effects have been especially useful tools in the correction of previously assumed dates of origin of several of the altarpieces. It is hoped that the results presented in this study, together with a new perspective, encourages further close analyses of the ‘backdrop’ of medieval altarpieces in future studies. The religious function of all things ‘to stand on an altar’1 subjected the medieval craftsmen to the doctrinal use of specific materials and methods. In the making of altarpieces, trans- forming plain wooden boxes into heavenly spheres for objects of worship was a medieval craft often referred to as ‘preparation’, performed by preparers.2 These terms might appear somewhat misleading, because in addition to the preliminary steps such as applying the ground layers and a temporary ‘pre-gilding’ fitting of the sculptures in the shrines, the 1 The phrase is taken from the Hamburg guild ordinances of painters and glaziers from c.
    [Show full text]
  • Stockholm – Reval Time at the End of the 15Th Century
    Stockholm – Reval time at the end of the 15th century Facts Stockholm and Reval were both rapidly growing Baltic cities during 15th century, astride the trade route between Denmark and Russia. The end of the century was a time of increasing trade and bettere economic climate. Many other cities were also blooming. Riga, Åbo, Copenhagen and Kalmar for example. The were however obvious signs of unrest and war from several directions, and a constant fear that the plague would return. The social differences were considerable, not least in the state of Livonia, with its serfdom. Stockholm Stockholm was an important city during the 15th century. The population of 6,000 lived tightly packed inside the walls. There were also a few pockets of housing out side the city, mainly for poorer people who had casual employment in the city itself. These hovels were some- thing that the city authorities would have liked to clear away. Feverish building activity went on in Stockholm, both new building and rebuilding; the final work on the new city walls and not least the re building of the great St. Nikolai church. There were a number of religious establishments in Stockholm: the Dominicans Convent, the Almshouse, the House of the Holy Spirit and the house of the Knights of St. John. Outside the walls were the Dominican sisters of St. Clara and the Fransiscan Convent. There was widespread trade, an important part of which came from Bergslagen and from the coastal tracts of both Finland and northern Sweden. Many ships sailed regularly between Reval, Riga, Visby, Kalmar and the ports of northern Germany, Lubeck, Rostock and Danzig.
    [Show full text]
  • 4 in Search of the Artistic Identity of the Baltic Sea Region Andrzej Wozinski
    TTHEHE BBALALTTICIC SSEAEA RREGIONEGION Cultures,Cultures, Politics,Politics, SocietiesSocieties EditorEditor WitoldWitold MaciejewskiMaciejewski A Baltic University Publication Case Chapter 4 In search of the artistic identity of the Baltic Sea region Andrzej Wozinski 1. Art of the Viking Age and the beginning Figure 58. A Vikings’ of Christian art breast pin. Ill.: Małgorzata Sheiki- The Viking Age. The artistic homogeneity of Binkowska the Baltic coastal areas started to evolve in the Viking era. This dates back to ca. 800 AD, when almost the whole of the area was still pagan. Our knowledge of Viking art is frag- mentary, as only some remains of the archi- tecture, sculpture, painting and textiles have been preserved. Most surviving items are Rus, on the southern coast of the Baltic, in the objects of artistic handicraft: jewellery, weapon British Isles, Ireland, Iceland, and Normandy. irons, vessels, tools, and transportation equip- They even reached Greenland and America, ment such as boats or sleighs. The artistic tal- and they had regular contacts with Byzantium. ents of the Scandinavians, coupled with their They brought their art with them, with the organisational and military skills, mobility and specific style, iconography and high skill level. expansiveness, made their art the first artistic Works of Viking art have been preserved in manifestation of the unity of the Baltic coastal many locations the Vikings reached. They were region. produced in the newly established settlements, The Vikings set up their settlements not or occasionally brought by the Vikings to the only in the whole of Scandinavia, but also in areas they conquered or visited.
    [Show full text]