WALDNER, Hans
German cabinetmaker, born in Ravensburg, active in Austria. His first recorded work is the choir-stalls (1562-65) of the Hofkirche, Innsbruck, for which he received 30 florins. From January 1566 he received correspondence from Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (reg 1564-95) regarding work at Schloss Ambras, Tyrol, which had just been completed, relating mainly to furnishing the chapel and room panelling. However, immediately after the Archduke’s death all this woodwork was removed to Günzburg, and nothing more is known about it.
His most important commission for the court was the creation of the Fürstenchor, a projecting oratory built of wood above the left choir-stalls of the Hofkirche in Innsbruck. He worked on the two south window axes, while the northern section was completed by the joiner Conrad Gottlieb between 1567 and 1571. This splendid intarsia work is an outstanding example of Renaissance craftsmanship. The doors show the influence of the Italian grotesque style and differ from the rest of the paneling in the way the ornamentation is concentrated on the middle of the intarsia section; in the other intarsia-decorated areas perspective strapwork is used.
In 1568-69 Waldner may have worked for Georg Ilsung, at Schloss Tratzberg, Tyrol, where the ceiling of the Königinzimmer (in situ) has been tentatively attributed to him. The last work that can definitely be assigned to him is a carriage with magnificent intarsia decoration (1569-73) made for Duchess Joanna of Florence.
