DOI issue:
Nr. 3-4
DOI article:Dobrzeniecki, Tadeusz: A Gothic relief with the Adoration of the Magi: a discovered model of some Gothic copies
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18862#0089
both reliefs are similar and show the obvious formal affinity with the contemporary Nether-
landish sculpture, we should notice also the features in which they differ. These differences result
probably from the fact that the relief in the National Museum in Warsaw was executed slightly
later than the works it is compared with. We should take into consideration the fact that the
copies of the Warsaw relief have been executed in the XVth century in diverse materials: stucco
and carlapesta.
The catalogue of the exhibition ,,Late Gothic in Upper Rhineland" provides us with the im-
portant documentation of the problem of copying the wooden reliefs in various materials. This
was at that epoch a common practice in the workshop of the Upper Rhineland, Netherlands57,
Westphalia and Northern Italy. The Karlsruhe exhibition presented only two such wooden
models sińce they are preserved only in a few examples. But the Upper Rhenish workshops
executed numerous models designed to be copied in wood. The first example of such model is an
interesting relief with the half-figure of the Yirgin and the Child, dated ca 1470—8058. This
relief was repeated at least twice — in iron and in stucco. The first copy: a relief in iron originally
polychromed was cast at the end of the XVth century in the techniąue of waxwork59. It was
used in the stove decoration"". The other copy was executed in stucco61 (figs. 7—9).
The second Upper Rhenish work which became a model for numerous repetitions was the
relief with the scenę of the Annunciation exhibited in Karlsruhe. It is probably an early work
of Hans Wydyz of about 14 9 0 63. Its remarkably smali dimensions (31 x25 cm) are almost iden-
tical with those of the Warsaw relief (31 X 26 cm). The Upper Rhenish tradition of the relief with
its doll-like delicate figures set against the vertically piliug up backgrouud achieves perfection
in this work of unusual grace. Mary and the Angel are animated with the delicate, one would say,
childish beauty, known already from the earlier works. Mary is placed on the foreground at the
left side of this scenę. Taken by surprise with Her heavenly messenger She looks at him over the
pages of her book of prayer. The decorative entrauce hall plays here the role of the canopy on
which the figurę of Moses with the Tablet of the Commandments is represented. Against the open
door there is the pot with the lily — the symbol of the virginal chastity of Mary. Through the
open door one can see the chamber with the bed. In the upperright corner of the relief a rocky
piling up landseape is shown with the scenę of the Visitation in a similar way to that of the
Warsaw relief, where the eipiestrian cortege of the Magi is represented.
The relief in cartapesla now in the City Gallery in Frankfort preserved its original polychromy
executed with unusual care64. Its dimensions (31,1 X 25,1 cm) are very close to those of the War-
saw relief. Undoubtedly, it is a repetition of the lost wooden original. The fact of using the meti-
culous elaboration of details and the costly polychromy here suggests an important demand for
57. Cf J. Leeuwenberg, ,,Dic Ausstrahlung Utrechter Tonplastik", Studien zur Geschichte der europiiischen Plastik, Festschrift
Theodor Muller zum 19. April 1965, Miinchen, 1965, p. 151—166.
58. Spatgotik ani Oberrhein, op: cii., No 63, fig. 59: Berlin-Dahlem, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Skulpturen-
abteilung; it comes from Detzem on Moselle; walnut wood with the old polychromy, 52 X 52 cm.
59. Sec cg. the stove executed by an unknown master in Salzburg, in 1501, with rich ornamental and figural dccoration in
glazed terracotta tiles (with the relief of the Adoration of the Magi among them. Wilm, op. cii., p. 79, fig. 187).
60. ii. Franz, Der Kachelofen, Forschungen und Berichłe des Kunsthistorischen Institutes der Universitat Graz, I, Graz, 1969,
fig. 125, 134, 135.
61. Colmar, Unterlindert-Museum; Hcssig, op. cit., pl. 55h.
62. Spiitgotik ani Oberrhein, op. cit., No 138, fig. 126; oak wood, not polychromed. Florcnce, Museo Nazionalc, the Carrand
Collection Nr 1366. Th. Muller, „A Yenetian Altarpiccc in Hartford", The Art Ouarterly, 17, 1954, p. 365—370 (p. 366,
fig. 2) was the first scholar who calłed attention to this relief and recognized its similarity to the works of Hans Wydyz;
R. Schnellbach, ,,Eine obcrrheinisehc Skulptur ans dem Krcis der Dangolsheimer Maria", Beilrage zur schwabischen Kunst-
geschichte. Festschrift W. Fleischhauer, Konstanz und Stuttgart, 1945, p. 115—132 (p. 129, fotnote 4, fig. 66).
63. Messer, op. cit., p. 203—208: Die reilenden Magier.
64. Frankfort, Stadtische Galerie, Museum alter Plastik im Łiebieghaus; Spatgotik am Oberrhein, op. cii., No 69, fig. 65.
79
landish sculpture, we should notice also the features in which they differ. These differences result
probably from the fact that the relief in the National Museum in Warsaw was executed slightly
later than the works it is compared with. We should take into consideration the fact that the
copies of the Warsaw relief have been executed in the XVth century in diverse materials: stucco
and carlapesta.
The catalogue of the exhibition ,,Late Gothic in Upper Rhineland" provides us with the im-
portant documentation of the problem of copying the wooden reliefs in various materials. This
was at that epoch a common practice in the workshop of the Upper Rhineland, Netherlands57,
Westphalia and Northern Italy. The Karlsruhe exhibition presented only two such wooden
models sińce they are preserved only in a few examples. But the Upper Rhenish workshops
executed numerous models designed to be copied in wood. The first example of such model is an
interesting relief with the half-figure of the Yirgin and the Child, dated ca 1470—8058. This
relief was repeated at least twice — in iron and in stucco. The first copy: a relief in iron originally
polychromed was cast at the end of the XVth century in the techniąue of waxwork59. It was
used in the stove decoration"". The other copy was executed in stucco61 (figs. 7—9).
The second Upper Rhenish work which became a model for numerous repetitions was the
relief with the scenę of the Annunciation exhibited in Karlsruhe. It is probably an early work
of Hans Wydyz of about 14 9 0 63. Its remarkably smali dimensions (31 x25 cm) are almost iden-
tical with those of the Warsaw relief (31 X 26 cm). The Upper Rhenish tradition of the relief with
its doll-like delicate figures set against the vertically piliug up backgrouud achieves perfection
in this work of unusual grace. Mary and the Angel are animated with the delicate, one would say,
childish beauty, known already from the earlier works. Mary is placed on the foreground at the
left side of this scenę. Taken by surprise with Her heavenly messenger She looks at him over the
pages of her book of prayer. The decorative entrauce hall plays here the role of the canopy on
which the figurę of Moses with the Tablet of the Commandments is represented. Against the open
door there is the pot with the lily — the symbol of the virginal chastity of Mary. Through the
open door one can see the chamber with the bed. In the upperright corner of the relief a rocky
piling up landseape is shown with the scenę of the Visitation in a similar way to that of the
Warsaw relief, where the eipiestrian cortege of the Magi is represented.
The relief in cartapesla now in the City Gallery in Frankfort preserved its original polychromy
executed with unusual care64. Its dimensions (31,1 X 25,1 cm) are very close to those of the War-
saw relief. Undoubtedly, it is a repetition of the lost wooden original. The fact of using the meti-
culous elaboration of details and the costly polychromy here suggests an important demand for
57. Cf J. Leeuwenberg, ,,Dic Ausstrahlung Utrechter Tonplastik", Studien zur Geschichte der europiiischen Plastik, Festschrift
Theodor Muller zum 19. April 1965, Miinchen, 1965, p. 151—166.
58. Spatgotik ani Oberrhein, op: cii., No 63, fig. 59: Berlin-Dahlem, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Skulpturen-
abteilung; it comes from Detzem on Moselle; walnut wood with the old polychromy, 52 X 52 cm.
59. Sec cg. the stove executed by an unknown master in Salzburg, in 1501, with rich ornamental and figural dccoration in
glazed terracotta tiles (with the relief of the Adoration of the Magi among them. Wilm, op. cii., p. 79, fig. 187).
60. ii. Franz, Der Kachelofen, Forschungen und Berichłe des Kunsthistorischen Institutes der Universitat Graz, I, Graz, 1969,
fig. 125, 134, 135.
61. Colmar, Unterlindert-Museum; Hcssig, op. cit., pl. 55h.
62. Spiitgotik ani Oberrhein, op. cit., No 138, fig. 126; oak wood, not polychromed. Florcnce, Museo Nazionalc, the Carrand
Collection Nr 1366. Th. Muller, „A Yenetian Altarpiccc in Hartford", The Art Ouarterly, 17, 1954, p. 365—370 (p. 366,
fig. 2) was the first scholar who calłed attention to this relief and recognized its similarity to the works of Hans Wydyz;
R. Schnellbach, ,,Eine obcrrheinisehc Skulptur ans dem Krcis der Dangolsheimer Maria", Beilrage zur schwabischen Kunst-
geschichte. Festschrift W. Fleischhauer, Konstanz und Stuttgart, 1945, p. 115—132 (p. 129, fotnote 4, fig. 66).
63. Messer, op. cit., p. 203—208: Die reilenden Magier.
64. Frankfort, Stadtische Galerie, Museum alter Plastik im Łiebieghaus; Spatgotik am Oberrhein, op. cii., No 69, fig. 65.
79