2016 - News - Detail Page - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

The following spoke:

• Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
• Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, Secretary General of the Kulturstiftung der Länder
• Bernd Wolfgang Lindemann, Director of the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art
• Julien Chapuis, Director of the Sculpture Collection

The large, fully circular, enthroned Madonna, a key work of the
Beautiful Style - a Bohemian variant of the Soft Style or International
Gothic style - was probably the only Madonna of its kind still available on the art market.
The quality of the execution and the sculptural concept and its expressiveness make the sculpture an outstanding work. It is of particular value to the Berlin
sculpture collection for two reasons: firstly,
since the destruction of the Pietà from Baden in 1945, of which only the
two heads have survived, there is no longer a major work of the Beautiful Style in the
collection. On the other hand, the figure, which was demonstrably created in Bavaria, adds a new dimension to the
Museum in the area of the development of German sculpture in the early 15th century.

Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, is delighted: "With the
Beautiful Madonna, a painful gap in the sculpture collection has finally been filled. I would like to thank the Kulturstiftung der Länder and the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung for their support in acquiring the Madonna. I am sure that together we will also succeed in acquiring similarly outstanding pieces in the future." Michael Eissenhauer, Director General of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, also recognises the extraordinary significance of the sculpture for Berlin's encyclopaedic sculpture collection: "The magnificent Bode Museum, as the sculpture museum on Berlin's Museum Island, is thus gaining another gem for its world-renowned collection." Julien Chapuis, Head of the Sculpture Collection,
adds: "Sculptures of this calibre are among the greatest
rarities on the art market. I would never have thought it possible that a key work in the Beaux Arts style of this size and in this state of preservation could still be acquired."

The enthroned Virgin Mary, which is in good overall condition, was probably created around 1380-1400
. It is one of the main works of the Beautiful Style, a style in
late Gothic painting and sculpture from around 1400 that developed at the Prague court and soon gained importance throughout Central Europe. It is characterised by dynamic
compositions that create formal and psychological tensions, a
differentiated treatment of surfaces and flowing
robe masses in rounded forms that emphasise certain parts of the anatomy while concealing others.

The Beautiful Madonna is an outstanding example of this style: although
less than life-size, the limestone figure conveys a monumental impression thanks to the sophisticated structure of the drapery. The Mother of God sits broad and heavy on a throne bench, wrapped in a cloak apparently made of heavy woollen fabric. She turns her head slightly to one side to look down at the infant Jesus, who originally lay in the crook of her left arm. The complex composition invites the viewer to walk around the sculpture. It presents a balanced overall impression from every side and impresses with the logic of its anatomy - characteristics of the best figures in the Beautiful Style. As an enthroned Madonna in the Beautiful style, the figure is also a speciality: in Prague sculpture, two types enjoyed great popularity: the standing Madonna, known as the "Beautiful Madonna", and the Vesper image or Pietà. In southern Germany, on the other hand, Madonnas depicted enthroned were common from the 13th century onwards. Furthermore, the stone has been identified as sponge limestone from the Altmühltal. It is therefore likely that the figure was made by an artist trained in Prague for a Bavarian patron. The Madonna therefore has not only special aesthetic but also scientific value.

Press contact:

Dr Stefanie Heinlein
Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Press and Public Relations
Von-der-Heydt-Str. 16 - 18
D-10785 Berlin
Tel 00 49/ (0)30/ 25463 206
Fax 00 49/ (0)30/ 25463 268
E-Mail

Mechtild Kronenberg
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
General Directorate
Head of Press, Communication and Sponsoring
Stauffenbergstraße 41
D-10785 Berlin
Website
Tel 00 49/ (0)30/ 266 42 3400
Fax 00 49/ (0)30/ 266 42 3410
E-Mail

Anne Schäfer-Junker
Press
Tel 00 49/ (0)30/ 266 42 3402
Fax 00 49/ (0)30/ 266 42 3409
E-Mail

The National Museums in Berlin are an institution of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

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