Skip to main content

Workshop of Tilman Heysacker, 'The Dormition', later 15th century

 


Cut down from its original altarpiece format, the Dormition by German sculptor Tilman Heysacker suddenly becomes an intimate devotional panel. Expertly revealed to the viewer through the emphatic sweep of the heavy curtain on the left-hand size of the panel, we are invited into this special, intimate scene of mourning, emotion and pain. Sculpted from oak and once painted, today the colour has faded away, leaving us with a monochrome depiction of the Virgin’s death where all attention is on the figures, the use of relief and the sculpted precision by the artist’s hand.

Heysacker guides the viewer’s eye to the central, devotional focal point of the relief through the circular disposition of figures. Careful to maintain their devotional distance from the viewer, the Apostles kneel and stand on opposite sides of the Virgin, who lies gracefully across the horizontal axis of the panel, evoking tomb effigies that would have likely populated the church this altarpiece stood within. Each Apostle is individualised through their grief, allowing the viewer to connect to the piece on multiple emotional levels. For instance, the Apostle nearest to the revealing curtain kneels and prays beside the head of the Virgin, his angular, heavy draperies drawing attention to his raised hands. Heysacker has taken great care in every human depiction, even down to the details of the wrinkled, soles of the Apostle’s feet as he kneels, which produce a visual dialogue with the folds of his cloak. Meanwhile, the man next to him wipes his face with the back of his hand, an entirely human gesture that for a moment, brings the piece away from the realm of the divine. Wiping away tears, his eyes are barely open, the grief seemingly weighing even his eyelids down. This is reflected in the heaviness of his hand gesture. He thumbs through the Bible carelessly and it almost slips off his lap into the viewer’s realm, again another tantalising, devotional connection.

The overt grief of the Apostles is contrasted with the serenity of the Virgin. Even in death she is a figure of humility and contemplation, her hands crossed across her lap. The artist has set up a deliberate visual connection between the Virgin and Saint Peter who conducts the ceremony. Whereas the Virgin’s body is gracefully positioned, her eyes closed and mouth firmly set, the figure of Saint Peter leans precariously forward, his eyes again reflecting that heaviness of emotion, holding the Bible with shaky hands. His mouth is open as he utters the words of the ceremony, eyebrows drawn upwards to show his grief. Other figures in the scene are equally active, including the Apostle who sprinkles holy water or another by the foot of the bed, who perfumes the room with incense, blowing it towards the Virgin. Although this is a scene of grief and death, it is an active and sensory work too. There is spoken word, the smell of the incense, action, gesture and movement all juxtaposed with the unmoving Virgin. This is particularly effective now that the panel is isolated, as there is no Ascension or Birth of the Virgin, no sense of the Virgin as an active, lively force. Heysacker has expertly juxtaposed vita activa and vita contemplativa for a heightened emotional impact in his carefully carved oak panel.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Artemisia Gentileschi, 'Jael and Sisera', c.1620

  My eye firstly notices the hand wielding the hammer above the unsuspecting man's head. Gentileschi is depicting a new and particularly horrible kind of weapon here instead of the huge sword she gave Judith to slice Holofernes' head off in 1620. The tent peg seems all the more violent, especially as the viewer is looking at the split second before the deed has been committed. Moreover, the gaze of the women (Jael) is focused and calm, making the piece seem unnerving. This is not a moment of hesitation but a snapshot of action - the woman has made up her mind and will commit to this murder. The viewer can only imagine how Gentileschi would have depicted the bloody aftermath, in her usual violent and tenebristic way. The fact that the artist has signed her name in the tomb-like stone above the man is significant - she is signing his life away in this painting, sending him swiftly to the grave.  The body of the man (Sisera) is also interestingly depicted. He lies in a rather eff...
Post a Comment
Read more

John Everett Millais, 'Peace Concluded', 1856

  My eye is drawn to the copy of The Times clutched in the hands of the officer. The white of the figurine on the man's knee and the white of his wife's sleeves all serve to make the white paper stand out even more on the canvas. As the title of the painting suggests, this is about the end of the Crimean War, seemingly depicting a soldier who has just returned home, surrounded by his family, but the mood is perhaps less euphoric than you might expect. The soldier seems somber and weary, and his wife has a look of concern. Although on the surface it seems to be quite a harmonious composition representing a close knit and traditional family, the positioning of the man is odd. It is his wife who takes her place at the apex of the triangular composition, the soldier is reduced to an emasculated role, perhaps an invalid, as suggested by the blanket over his legs. Her face is passive, but not exactly positive. With her arms draped around her husband, she looks posed, dutiful but not...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ernst Barlach, 'The Avenger', 1914

  On the advent of both the First World War and the artistic movement known as Futurism, Ersnt Barlach cast this work in bronze. The eye picks out an angular, horizontal form, a sense of hurried pace and strong facial features to this work by the German Expressionist artist. This piece is highly interesting when discussed in terms of the artist's oeuvre - Barlach entered the First World War with a clear attitude of patriotism. The sculpture reflects that, as the figure seemingly thrusts forward wielding a sizeable weapon above his head, leading the charge head on. Describing the sculpture as his 'raging Barbarian' it is clear that Barlach wanted to present an emotionally charged figure. Perhaps it is even a self portrait, with Barlach picturing himself as the hero. The artist did in fact serve briefly as an infantry officer. However realisation soon dawned and patriotism quickly dwindled. All of Barlach's sculptures from this point onward are influenced by the horror an...
Post a Comment
Read more