20th Annual Student Research Conference
Fine Arts
Tilmann Riemenschneider’s Use of Monochromy
Heidi A. Willhauck
Dr. Julia DeLancey, Faculty Mentor
Tilmann Riemenschneider, the late-medieval German sculptor, is most well known for his unpainted religious limewood sculptures, because he was one of the first artists to produce such monochrome works. However, the pre-Reformation religious reasoning that many scholars have assigned to Riemenschneider’s use of monochromy is not accurate. A close examination of the religious life of pre-Reformation Germany and its correlation to Riemenschneider’s art shows that he was not a part of any sort of religious unrest or reform, but instead he and his patrons conformed to the beliefs of the late-medieval Catholic Church. Stylistic trends, the political situation, and the financial position of the patron prove to be more viable possibilities for influencing Riemenschneider’s utilization of monochromy.
Keywords: Riemenschneider, German, art, art history
Topic(s):Art History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 20-1
Location: OP 2210
Time: 9:45 am