Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I
by COLYN, Alexander, Marble and bronze
Emperor Maximilian’s ornate black marble cenotaph occupies the center of the nave. Florian Abel (died 1565), of the Prague imperial court, supplied a full-sized draft of the high tomb in the florid style of court Mannerism. Its construction took more than 80 years. The sarcophagus itself was completed in 1572, and the final embellishments — the kneeling emperor, the four virtues, and the iron grille — were added in 1584.
Alexander Colyn created 24 white marble reliefs for the tomb, based on woodcuts from the Triumphal Arch by Albrecht D�rer.