MULTSCHER, Hans

The next scene is of Christ carrying the cross to Calvary.

The scene of Christ’s prayer on the Mount of Olives is followed by Christ before Pilate. The Roman procurator has just pronounced the death sentence and is washing his hands as a sign that he is innocent of the death of the Lord.

The turning point between the ‘Sch�nen stils’ (beautiful styles), with their gentle, almost abstract idealization, and late Gothic realism is marked by a small high relief in the Liebighaus in Frankfurt. An angel holds the dead or dying Christ, preventing him from falling to the ground. Christ’s head with the crown of thorns falls sideways, his mouth and eyes slightly open, and his arms hang limply down at his sides. On the angel’s right stands God the Father, his hand raised in blessing. Between his head and that of Christ is the dove representing the Holy Ghost. The relief has lost its original surround which, possibly adorned with tracery, would have emphasized the sculptural content of the image by giving it a spatial setting.

It is above all the in the execution of the body of Christ that the sculptor’s close observation of nature is most apparent. A dense network of veins spreads over arms and legs, the collarbone and ribs are anatomically correctly formed, and a fine double fold above the navel underlines the naturalistic approach to the human body. This is further enhanced by the coloring, with the skin rendered in various tones - bluish shadows, veins clearly picked out, and the bleeding wounds painted red. Similarly, the faces and hands of God and the angel have a strongly three-dimensional presence and naturalistic coloring. There is a contrast between the flesh colors and the alabaster, uncolored except for the gilded hems of the robes of God and the angel. It is the special quality of this stone that it does not reflect light with a crystalline hardness. Penetrating the translucent stone, light becomes a milky glow that seems to come from within the material itself. This makes the garments, which flow together as though to form a foil for the figure of Christ, seem to hold some secret, to suggest an otherworldly realm that gives the presentation of the racked body a background imbued with a secret mystery.

In this work, neither a Trinity nor a Throne of Grace, different components are brought together to carry an unusual density of theological meaning. The most striking feature of this work is the portrayal of of the tormented Christ as a man dying. The sculpture seems to capture the very moment of death, and so gives greater emphasis to his sacrifice. The way in which he is held by an angel, as in a Man of Sorrows, forms a link with the image known as an Angel Pietà. In the Throne of Grace type, God the Father, seated on a throne, holds the cross on which his son is crucified. Between them hovers the dove representing the Holy Ghost. Theologically, this shows the acceptance of the sacrifice through which the divine plan of salvation can be fulfilled.

This relief is stylistically indebted to Late Gothic Netherlandish realism. Multscher was certainly familiar with the iconography and formal idiom of the Sch�nen stils. It is also likely that he spent several years in Burgundian-Netherlandish regions, where he would have been introduced to the ground-breaking naturalism of the early 15th century.

Since Hans Multscher headed a huge workshop that involved both painters and sculptors, it is often assumed that he himself practiced both arts. He very likely took his apprenticeship in sculpture in the spheres of Burgundian and Netherlandish workshops before settling in 1427 in Ulm where he was active until his death in 1467. His early work, carved in stone in 1429, the Man of Sorrows, is a striking example of the new vigour and realism that Multscher introduced to Swabia. This statue is from the west portal of Ulm Cathedral.

The third scene, the Feast of Pentecost, shows the Virgin and the Apostles in a chapel-like room. Above them is suspended the dove of the Holy Spirit, which is poured out over the faithful.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 4 minutes):

Guillaume Dufay: Veni, Creator Spiritus, hymn for Pentecost

The sequence opens with Christ’s prayer on the Mount of Olives. This is followed by Christ before Pilate. The Roman procurator has just pronounced the death sentence and is washing his hands as a sign that he is innocent of the death of the Lord. The next scene is of Christ carrying the cross to Calvary. The sequence concludes with Christ’s resurrection.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 14 minutes):

Ludwig van Beethoven: Christ on the Mount of Olives, op. 85, Introduction and Jesus’ aria

The Risen Christ, draped only in a bright red cloth, sits on a massive stone sarcophagus, the red seals on the lid of which are unbroken. The body of Christ bears the stigmata of the Crucifixion. His right hand is raised in the gesture of benediction, while in the left He holds a staff surmounted by a cross. In the confined space between the sarcophagus and the enclosing fence four armed soldiers lie in a deep sleep.

The Resurrection is one of the panels from a winged altar of considerable dimensions which has been lost without trace. Originally there was a carved central shrine, in which a Crucifixion group was probably represented. When the wings were closed, the altar showed four scenes relating to the Madonna; these (from top left to bottom right) were The Nativity, The Adoration of the Magi, The Descent of the Holy Ghost and The Death of the Virgin. When opened, the inner sides of the wings showed four scenes from the Passion, which flanked the central Crucifixion. Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives (top left), served as a companion-piece to Christ before Pilate (top right), while Christ bearing the Cross (bottom left), was placed opposite The Resurrection.

The original location of the altar has never been established. When it was dismantled, the front and rear sides of the wings became separated. On the two lower panels of the closed altar, showing The Descent of the Holy Ghost and The Death of the Virgin, the artist appended his signature : `bitte got f�r hanssen muoltscheren vo richehove burg ze ulm haut dz werk gemacht do ma zalt MCCCXXXVII’. Records show that in 1427 the Swabian artist, who came from Reichenhafen near Leutkirch, became a burgher of Ulm, where he worked not only as a painter but more often as a sculptor and engraver. The strength and solidity of the painted figures and their remarkable realism leave one in no doubt that Multscher combined the skills of both sculptor and painter, even though, in keeping with medieval practice, he may well have made use of a well-staffed workshop.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 3 minutes):

Guillaume Dufay: Hymn for Easter

The two staues are on the West Porch of the Cathedral.

The dominant style in South Germany at the beginning of the 15th century carried on the grace and prettiness of the 14th century, slighly humanized, but nevertheless of the greatest lyrical charm. By the middle decades of the 15th century, the trend towards representational naturalism was everywhere apparent. It is well illustrated by these statues of Multscher, where the whole rendering reaches a stage of unaffected simplicity at times almost photographic.

The next scene shows the adoration of the Three Wise Men who had followed the star to offer the child gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The scenes from the life of the Virgin, depicted on the inner sides of the wings, begin with the birth of Christ. Mary and Joseph worship the child in the stable, while outside in the fields angels announce the birth of the Lord to the shepherds. Full of curiosity, a crowd of men and women look on from behind the wooden fence of the stable. The next scene shows the adoration of the Three Wise Men who had followed the star to offer the child gold, frankincense and myrrh. The third scene, the Feast of Pentecost, shows the Virgin and the Apostles in a chapel-like room. Above them is suspended the dove of the Holy Spirit, which is poured out over the faithful. The final picture is of the death of the Virgin. Christ stands at her deathbed and has taken his mother’s soul, in the shape of a tiny girl, into his arms.

The final picture is of the death of the Virgin. Christ stands at her deathbed and has taken his mother’s soul, in the shape of a tiny girl, into his arms.