Circle of Tilman Riemenschneider (Heiligenstadt 1460 - 1531 Würzburg), South German, circa 1520-30

The Collection of Prince Joseph Clemens of Bavaria;

With Peter Finer Ltd., Ilmington, Warwickshire;

New York, Sotheby's, 26 January 2017, lot 165;

Where acquired.

Tilman Riemenschneider’s unique sculptural vocabulary is clearly recognizable in the carving of this bust of a man. The sculptor's distinctive manner of representing facial features (almond-shaped, down-turned eyes emphasized with thin lines on the lids, aquiline nose, diminutive, pursed lips and dimpled, pointed chin) combined with the authentic treatment of the skin incised with fine creases, are all a leitmotif of Riemenschneider's refined style of carving.

This bust was likely part of an altar and may represent a donor. The use of black pigment in his irises was a typical practice in the sculptors’ workshop and conveys a greater sense of realism. Although many of his carvings were not meant to be painted, Riemenschneider worked with wood glazes as well as pigmented varnishes to highlight the lips and eyes of his figures.

Riemenschneider ran a large workshop where he taught apprentices and employed journeymen fluent in their master's vernacular. The sculptor’s fame was widespread; he was in high demand from local churches, towns and wealthier members of the region, and he also received commissions beyond the boundaries of his home. Although it was necessary to rely on his assistants for portions of the work, the carvings were given final approval by the master himself. The majority of sculptures from the workshop were removed from their original settings and therefore remain undocumented. Few sculptures by Riemenschneider and his workshop remain in private hands.

Stylistic analogies between the present bust of a man and other established works by Riemenschneider and his workshop place it firmly within the master’s circle.

RELATED LITERATURE

M. Baxandall, The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany, New Haven and London 1980;

L. Bruhns, Tilman Riemenschneider, Stuttgart 1988;

J. Chapuis, Tilman Riemenschneider: Master Sculptor of the Late Middle Ages, London 1999.