Academic thesis

Johanna Fuchs: The Marienaltar from the late Middle Ages in the Cloister of Wienhausen: Assembly - Paintwork - Functionality. (in cooperation with Silvia Hellwig) back

Language: Original   -   Translation
Overview:  
 
Abstract: The Marienaltar from 1519 in the nuns’ choir of Wienhausen Cloister near Celle is one of the few retables that is almost completely intact and still in the surroundings it was originally made for. The intactness is an ideal prerequisite for a detailed technological analysis of assembly, paintwork and functionality. This credits such a qualitative work and serves the analysis of late gothic art techniques as well as liturgical function.
The detailed analysis of the Marienaltar serves to establish, amongst others the necessary measures that will need to be taken. These include the wish to incorporate the wings into the liturgy by being able to fold them. For this the statics will have to be calculated. The presentation of the weekdays view has to deal with the condition of the high quality of the painting on the outer wings, yet a brownish-yellow material influence the paintings aesthetically by making them appear lighter and hazier.
All in all the late medieval work and paint techniques of the Marienaltar in the cloister of Wienhausen is easily recognizable. The innumerable marks left by carpenters and sculptors give evidence on medieval work techniques. On studying the polychromy close up, the rich and detailed presentation becomes evident. Numerous techniques used for decoration complete the opus.
To minimize or possibly remove the disturbing brownish-yellow coating on the paintings of the weekdays view, samples where taken and solubility of the previously applied glues were tested, which proved to be very promising. Calculations on the statics led to the development of a system with two angle steels to ease the weight on the predella. This also led to the desired fold ability of the wings. The damages that where detected were documented in digital mappings.

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Keywords: assembly, paintwork, cloister, Wienhausen, altar, statics
Details:
  • academic institution: HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen
  • kind of theses:  Masterarbeit
  • main Tutor:  Prof. Dr. Michael von der Goltz
  • assistant Tutor:  Maximilian von Boeselager
  • date:  2009
  • Language:  German
  • pages:  280
  • pictures:  237
 
Contact:
 
Johanna Fuchs
JohannaFuchs1@[Diesen Teil loeschen]gmx.de

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