Tilman Riemannschneider
The son of the mint master, Tilman Riemannschneider (c. 1460-1531) was born in Osterode in the Harz Mountains and received his artistic training at Erfurt. He learned wood-carving at Ulm. He married in 1485 and became a citizen of Würzburg, where he was in the local artists' guild and ran a successful workshop. Proficient in wood, alabaster, marble, and limestone, he had a reputation for excellence in carving life-sized statues, and his female figures are exceptional. His commissions included altarpieces and monuments. In 1504, Riemannschneider was elected to city office and was elected Bürgomeister in 1520. He refused, during the Peasants' Revolt (1524-25) to support civic authority and was imprisoned. He was able to regain his clientele, but he produced no notable work.
The record suggests that he had little influence from his death until the XIX Century, when scholars revived his reputation as an exemplar of the late Gothic style. His style has an element of classical restraint but shows also energy and emotion. St. Burchard is typical of his mature work, and his monument to Henry II and Cunigunde at Bamburg Cathedral is considered a notable piece.
Karen Rae Keck
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