DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.63671#0245
OF PAINTING IN GERMANY.
145
THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF PAINTING IN GERMANY.
There was an early period in the history of German art
when, although its efforts were rude and uncouth, it
was unaffected by foreign influences, and soon developed
estimable qualities of its own. A taste for pictorial
representation was manifest in the Rhenish provinces, and
a school was established of which the centre was Cologne.
Certain records have been found there of one Wilhelm von
Koln, or Master Wilhelm—the earliest notice of his ex-
istence appearing soon after the middle of the fourteenth
century (1358)—who appears to have been greatly
esteemed, and who was appointed painter to the city.
Many productions of this early Rhenish school are attri-
buted to him—among them two pictures now in the
Museum Wallraf-Richartz at Cologne—with probability,
but not with absolute certainty. There is more evidence,
however, to connect his name with some slight remains of
frescoes formerly in the Cologne Rathhaus, now in the
same museum. The two pictures referred to are Nos. 40, 1,
a small triptych of the 'Madonna,' and a large and fine
work, ' Christ on the cross, the Virgin and eight apostles.'
The heads are remarkable for being finely modelled from
nature; the extremities are less finished ; the limbs of
Christ, of extreme tenuity. The head of each saint has
an elaborately painted aureola bearing his name. The
work, like that of the early Cologne school generally, is
marked by softness of contour, blending of light and shade,
and high finish in the features and hair. Another of
these rare works is No. 160 in the Museum of Darmstadt,
a votive picture in five parts; where also are several
examples of the school. A considerable collection of
similar works are in the Pinacothek at Munich, in
Cabinet I.
Fourteenth
century.
Wilhelm
von Koln.
L
145
THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF PAINTING IN GERMANY.
There was an early period in the history of German art
when, although its efforts were rude and uncouth, it
was unaffected by foreign influences, and soon developed
estimable qualities of its own. A taste for pictorial
representation was manifest in the Rhenish provinces, and
a school was established of which the centre was Cologne.
Certain records have been found there of one Wilhelm von
Koln, or Master Wilhelm—the earliest notice of his ex-
istence appearing soon after the middle of the fourteenth
century (1358)—who appears to have been greatly
esteemed, and who was appointed painter to the city.
Many productions of this early Rhenish school are attri-
buted to him—among them two pictures now in the
Museum Wallraf-Richartz at Cologne—with probability,
but not with absolute certainty. There is more evidence,
however, to connect his name with some slight remains of
frescoes formerly in the Cologne Rathhaus, now in the
same museum. The two pictures referred to are Nos. 40, 1,
a small triptych of the 'Madonna,' and a large and fine
work, ' Christ on the cross, the Virgin and eight apostles.'
The heads are remarkable for being finely modelled from
nature; the extremities are less finished ; the limbs of
Christ, of extreme tenuity. The head of each saint has
an elaborately painted aureola bearing his name. The
work, like that of the early Cologne school generally, is
marked by softness of contour, blending of light and shade,
and high finish in the features and hair. Another of
these rare works is No. 160 in the Museum of Darmstadt,
a votive picture in five parts; where also are several
examples of the school. A considerable collection of
similar works are in the Pinacothek at Munich, in
Cabinet I.
Fourteenth
century.
Wilhelm
von Koln.
L