{"product_id":"riemenschneider-and-late-medieval-alabaster-9781913875435","title":"Riemenschneider and Late Medieval Alabaster","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt the center of this publication is Tilman Riemenschneider's \u003ci\u003eSaint Jerome and the Lion\u003c\/i\u003e, one of the masterpieces of the Cleveland Museum of Art.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRiemenschneider's \u003ci\u003eSaint Jerome\u003c\/i\u003e is not only one of the artist's more important early masterpieces, it is also his only alabaster work in a collection in the USA. Said to have come from the Benedictine abbey church of Saint Peter in Erfurt, Germany, this sculpture by Tilman Riemenschneider (c.1460-1531), dated to c. 1495, depicts the church father Saint Jerome as he removes a thorn from the paw of a lion, a legendary account of the saint's kindness. Following the common iconography of the scene, Jerome is dressed in the traditional robes of a Roman cardinal, with the cowl draped over his tonsured head and the broad-brimmed hat on his right leg. Traces of polychromy and gilding suggest that it was once brightly colored. Drill holes in the hat further indicate that cords and tassels of fabric, typical of a cardinal's hat, would once have decorated the sculpture. Whether the statue was originally commissioned for an altar in a private chapel or smaller space in the monastery remains unknown.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlabaster was prized for its luster and capacity for fine details from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. The gleaming stone was used for altarpieces and small sculptures, as well as the tombs of wealthy princes. The book unites works from the medieval collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art and selected masterworks from North American museums and the Louvre in Paris, which allows insight into the characteristics of alabaster sculptures in this period. It is striking that these works are of such a particularly exquisite quality that this material was used especially for high-ranking commissions, such as the tomb of Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy in Champmol near Dijon. The book is accompanied by several essays that examine the subject of alabaster sculpture from different perspectives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGerhard Lutz\u003c\/b\u003e is the Robert P. Bergman Curator of Medieval Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eElina Gertsman\u003c\/b\u003e is Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor in Catholic Studies II, professor of Art History and director of Graduate Studies, Case Western Reserve University.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSophie Jugie\u003c\/b\u003e is directrice du département des Sculptures, Musée du Louvre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWolfram Kloppmann\u003c\/b\u003e is isotope geochemist BRGM-Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Orléans.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLise Leroux\u003c\/b\u003e is a conservation scientist, Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques Ministère de la culture, Champs-sur-Marne.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePierre-Yves Le Pogam\u003c\/b\u003e is conservateur général au département des Sculptures, Musée du Louvre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStefan Roller\u003c\/b\u003e is head of the Medieval Department, Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt am Main.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Giles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50389758804242,"sku":"9781913875435","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_7c4c84d8-3758-44b3-bdf7-4ba72de453fb.jpg?v=1728928908","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/riemenschneider-and-late-medieval-alabaster-9781913875435","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}