Matthias Grünewald
German Renaissance master known for intense religious altarpieces, defying classicism.
Chronology: 1480 – 1528-08-31
Origins & Early Life
Matthias Grünewald (c. 1470 – 31 August 1528; also known as Mathis Gothart Nithart) was a German Renaissance painter of religious works who ignored Renaissance classicism to continue the style of late medieval Central European art into the 16th century. Only ten paintings—including several polyptychs—and thirty-five drawings survive, all religious, although many others were lost at sea on their way to Sweden as war booty. He was obscure until the late nineteenth century, when many of his paintings were attributed to Albrecht Dürer, who is now seen as his stylistic antithesis.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
His largest and most famous work is the Isenheim Altarpiece created c. 1512 to 1516. == Life == He was recognised in his lifetime, as shown by his commissions, yet the details of his life are unusually unclear for a painter of his significance at this date. The first source to sketch his biography comes from the German art historian Joachim von Sandrart, who describes him around 1505 working on the exterior decoration of an altarpiece by Albrecht Dürer in Frankfurt. As this work is typically performed by apprentices, it was estimated that he was born in 1475.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
Sandrart records that Grünewald's apprentice was the...
Source: Wikipedia