Studio: international art (40.1907)

of Fine Arts, Vienna; it re’ates a whole history.
The groups showing the direct descendants from
Rudolf to Maximilian are distinguished by a blue
cloud behind them. A scroll under each figure
records the important biographical facts. Those
females who were unmarried (including those who,
if betrothed, never reached the matrimonial state)
can easily be recognised by the fact that they wear
their hair flowing over their shoulders, while the
married ones wear close-fitting caps to hide their
greatest beauty—a custom analogous to the cutting
off the hair and wearing wigs among the orthodox
Jewish women. This genealogical tree is a mar-
vellous work, and, as far as can be said now, was
done under the influence of Bernhardin Strigel, of
Memlingen (1460 —1528), who was ennobled by
Maximilian I., and who alone had the right of
painting his Imperial patron’s portrait. It was
painted between the years 1500--1510.

The Maximilian Zimmer (p. 100) was the one
which that Emperor occupied during his frequent
visits to Tratzberg. This room is partly covered
writh the names and favourite utterances of those
who visited the castle and occupied this chamber
during the sixteenth century, so that it is a sort of
visitors’ book and “ Who’s Who ” in one, and is,
besides, of great historical value. The wainscoting
is very simple, and Gothic in style. There is a
singularly beautiful sewing-table in the window^,
and the room has an interesting trap-door which
leads to the first story.

The Tanzl Rammer
(p. 101) is interesting on
account of the simplicity of
the woodwork, the panel-
ling, and the window with
its round ceillettes, as also
from the general arrange-
ment. The adjacent
Frauenstube contains
an excellent specimen of
an inlaid bedstead in true
German Renaissance style,
very rare now. Its struc-
ture is purely architectonic;
the screen is in embossed
leather. The cupboard
(p. 104) is, in its wray,
a wonderful construction,
finely decorated and in a
perfect state of preserva-
tion. It is of cembra
pine, purely Gothic, har-
monious and powerful in
build, and ornamented wfith carving through which
a groundwork of delicate blue peeps ; the inlaid
work is exquisite, the wrrought-iron mountings ex-
ceedingly beautiful. It wras made in Sterzing, on
the Brenner ; it has endured for centuries, and will
endure many more—it wTas, in fact, built to laugh
at wear and tear.

Of the many other treasures in Tratzberg much
could be said did space permit—the armoury, the
chapel, the numerous other rooms, besides those
already named, with their varied appointments and
appurtenances. They are all most interesting, for
great care has been taken by the Counts Enzenberg
that everything should correspond to times in which
the castle came into existence. Some of the furni-
ture wras brought from Schloss Thurweck (Rothholz),
near Jenbach, the home of the Count’s mother; other
articles were purchased, but always wfith due regard
to the style of the rooms w’here they were to be
placed, and ahvays with the eye of a connoisseur.
It is wxirth while remembering that Tyrol used to be
a good field till the rage for collecting came ; now
it is pretty wrell exhausted. In Tyrol only the best
of everything wTas made; it was the high road from
Italy to Germany across the Brenner, and journeys
to and fro were frequent.

Of course, there are many w^eird ghost-stories
told of Tratzberg, but this is not the place to repeat
them, and moreover they are such as are connected
with all old castles about here—the devil fetching
the non-believer, and suchlike tales, for instance.

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