Carved Splendor: Late Gothic Altarpieces in Southern Germany, Austria, And South Tirol - Hardcover

Kahsnitz, Rainer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0892368535 ISBN 13: 9780892368532

Publisher: J Paul Getty Museum Pubns, 2006

Synopsis

Monumental carved, winged altarpieces are the most ambitious artworks from the Middle Ages, incorporating the skills of painters, sculptors, and cabinetmakers. Those that are most notable for their artistic originality and masterly execution were produced in the southern German-speaking regions, including Austria and South Tirol, in the last decades of the Late Gothic period (roughly 1460 to 1525). By that time altarpieces had evolved from low, fixed panels to large wooden structures with rich architectural ornamentation. Paintings of the saints often adorned the movable wings, while carved reliefs or freestanding sculptures of scenes from the Gospels occupied the gilded, center shrine.
Rainer Kahsnitz offers a close examination of twenty-two of the most important surviving altarpieces, discussing the historical context in which they were made and analyzing how their pictorial programs reflect changing notions of piety. The sumptuous color illustrations capture the altarpieces in all their possible arrangements. The stunning details of these pieces--riotous locks of hair, swirling fabric, and thickets of twisted vines--vividly demonstrate the consummate skill of the master artisans who created them.

About this title

Product Description:

Carved in wood, painted and gilded, winged altar retables were by far the most elaborate works of art of the Gothic period, and most churches in the pre-Reformation period were richly decorated with them - the cathedral in Ulm had 50. Following his detailed introduction, Professor Kahsnitz presents 22 of the most outstanding examples of winged altarpieces, photographed in great detail by Achim Bunz, with analysis of their architecture, iconography and art historical context. Translation by Russell Stockman. Slip-cased.

About the Author:

Rainer Kahsnitz is director of the German Association of Art History in Berlin. He is the author of numerous publications on medieval sculpture, manuscript illumination, goldwork, and painting.

About this edition

• Publisher: J Paul Getty Museum Pubns
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0892368535
• ISBN 13: 9780892368532
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480