Hans Multscher

Leutkirch 1400 – 1467 Ulm, circle of
Madonna
2nd half of the 15th century
Wood carved and polychromed (hollowed)
Height with plinth 113 cm, height of figure 104 cm
Width of plinth 38 cm, depth of plinth 25.5 cm
Width of figure 29 cm, depth of figure 21.5 cm

The sculptor and painter Hans Multscher is considered one of the greatest masters of his time and maintained a renowned workshop until 1467. As an early representative of the famous Ulm School, he depicts figures in dynamic movements: Mary is positioned in a lively S-shaped posture; in her left hand she balances the naked baby Jesus, whose playfully bent body with outstretched toes conveys a naturalistic impression. The boy presents the viewer with an orb, either an apple symbolising fertility or a globus cruciger, which identifies Christ as the ruler of the world. In contrast to Mary’s ideal of beauty with long curly hair, a high, elegantly arched forehead, narrow nose, and small mouth, the child has an almost cheeky expression: deep-set eyes with narrow eyebrow ridges are combined with a snub nose and a small, mischievously smiling mouth with strongly notched corners. Jesus’ face is framed by the short curls typical of the Gothic style.

However, the most impressive late Gothic feature of this Madonna figure is the drapery of Mary’s robe, which becomes increasingly sharp-edged towards the bottom. The veil around Mary’s head falls down voluminously, the flow being taken up by the long strands of hair falling over her chest. The richly pleated cloak shows combinations of soft-looking bowl pleats and creases, with the fabric on the upper body appearing even more supple and the drapery underneath structured in an angular, broken manner. Particularly striking are the deep folds on Mary’s red dress, which is visible at her feet and billows out on the base. A comparative example is the Bihlafinger Madonna from around 1455-60, which can be seen today in the Ulm Museum and has similar features to the figure presented here. However, there is a greater degree of playfulness here due to the cheeky posture of the infant Jesus, as well as a more intimate relationship between mother and child, as Mary is also gently touching her son’s foot with her right hand. The carver achieved an almost hyper-realistic immediacy here, suggesting a physical and spiritual closeness of the viewers to the figures depicted, emphasising the human side of Christ and Mary’s role as intercessor.