3 - Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Overview
Pre- and Ancient History
Art and Culture from Late Antiquity
to the 15 th Century
Perceptions of the Middle Ages
and the Founding Concept of the
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Late Middle Ages
Garden and Weaponry Hall
Historical Musical Instruments
Museum of Applied Arts
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Renaissance. Baroque. Enlightenment
Apothecaries, History of Medicine and
History of Trades
Decorative Arts of the 17th and
18th Centuries
Clothing from the 18th to the 20 th Centuries
Scientific Instruments
18
19
Art and Culture of the 20 th Century
The European Ethnology Collection
Rural Life
23
24
25
Bourgeois Art and Culture
in the 19 th Century
Piety
29
Worlds of Play. Children‘s Toys and
Adults’ Games from 1550 to 1950
0
15
16
17
30
31
1
2
3
S
Basement
A
Pre- and Ancient History
B
Worlds of Play
Art and Culture
from Late Antiquity
to the 15 th Century
C
D
Perceptions of the Middle
Ages and the Founding
Concept of the Germanisches
Nationalmuseums
Late Middle Ages
2
0
A
E
B
C
D
F
Basement
G
F
Historical Musical Instruments
E
G
Garden and Weaponry Hall
Museum of Applied Arts
3
Golden Cone of Ezelsdorf-Buch, 11th – 9th century B.C.
4
Pre- and
Ancient History
RO OMS 4 -12
Long before written sources existed, humans learned
how to control fire and to utilize tools. They subsisted
from hunting and from the fruits provided by nature. Thus
began the evolution of culture. This display presents the
development of tools, ornaments, vessels, and weapons
from Europe from the Stone Age up until the Carolingian
era. The exhibition begins with an approximately 120,000 year-old hand axe, a universal tool made of flint. Among
the most significant objects are the Golden Cone from
Ezelsdorf-Buch (headdress of a Bronze Age sun priest),
a sumptuous, approximately 1500-year-old eagle fibula,
and a richly-decorated Roman parade helmet.
02
03
01
01. Eagle Fibula, ca. 500 A.D.
02. Bull Sculpture, 6 th century B.C.
03. Roman Parade Helmet,
ca. 150 – 200 A.D.
5
Art and Culture from
Late Antiquity to the
15 th Century
RO OMS 13 -19
This combined exhibition of sculptures, textiles, art treasures, stained glass, and paintings presents fascinating
views on the period from the Carolingians up until the 15 th
century. Between these two poles, regional and national
artistic developments are explained, as are changes in form
and function. Superb furnishings provide insight into the
opulence and pictorial programs of medieval churches and
demonstrate their original liturgical uses. With the Carolingian Ardenne Cross, the Codex Aureus gold book cover from
Echternach, and the Armilla from the circle of Frederick
Barbarossa, the museum‘s holdings of gold work are worldrenowned. Crowning the exceptional collection of medieval
tapestries is the “Spieleteppich” (game tapestry) from
circa 1400.
02
03
01
01. Tapestry Depicting Courtly
Games, ca. 1400 02. Book Cover of
the Codex Aureus, 985 – 991 03. Lion
Aquamanile, late 12th century
6
Perceptions of the Middle
Ages and the Founding
Concept of the Germanisches
Nationalmuseums
ROOMS 2-3
a s o f 2012
Medieval art is one of the primary areas of collecting at the
GNM. Providing an introduction within the lapidarium, medieval objects are contrasted with 19 th century perceptions of
the Middle Ages. The focal point is composed of the reliquary
shrine, as one of the most historically significant pieces from
the era of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. A
series of stained-glass windows from 1875/76 illustrates the
19 th century treatment and creative embellishment of historical sources during the rediscovery of the Middle Ages.
The 19th century view of the Middle Ages leads to the founding concept of the GNM between the Late Romantic cult of
the Middle Ages and the scholarly practice of musealization.
Early acquisitions reflect the range of collection interests and
the appreciation of history at the time. Documentation media
such as cast copies, copies of pictures, early photographs,
index cards, and even computers exemplify the changes in
museum work.
02
01
01. Reliquary Shrine, 1438 – 40
02. Philipp Veit, Germania, 1848
7
Late Middle Ages
R O O M S 21- 39
The art and culture of the Late Middle Ages occupies a
special position in the holdings of the GNM. Nuremberg is
represented by internationally-celebrated works, such as the
14 th century bronze fountain figure of Hansel, or the original
figures from the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) at the
city‘s Hauptmarkt (central marketplace). In particular abundance are works from the late 15 th century by artists such
as Veit Stoss, Adam Kraft, Tilman Riemenschneider, Hans
Pleydenwurff, and Michael Wolgemut in the Bell Hall, Medieval Hall, Refectory and Small Cloister. Also located there are
exceptional sculptures and paintings from other Germanspeaking regions, such as the Annunciation by Konrad Witz
from Basel. Another group is comprised of paintings from the
Cologne school of painters from the circle of Stefan Lochner.
The monks‘ cells of the former Carthusian monastery contain
diverse references to Late Medieval daily life.
02
03
01
01. Master of the Augustinian Altar,
St. Luke Painting the Virgin, 1487
02. Veit Stoss, Archangel Raphael
and Young Tobias, 1516 03. Girdle
Book, 1471
8
Garden and
Weaponry Hall
ROOMS 46 - 47
The exhibition of historic weaponry and hunting relics spans
the period from the Early Middle Ages to the 18 th century.
A broad spectrum is featured, from the smallest miniature
pistols to imposing cannon barrels. Also on exhibit are
items from the world of knights, well-armed townspeople,
mercenaries and courtly culture. The so-called pot helmet
is outstanding and excellently preserved. An extraordinarily
rare collection of tournament armor as well as valuable early
firearms round out the picture.
The second room spotlights the world of architectural gardens. The sculptures on display are an integral part of this
garden style, which was adopted from France during the 18 th
century. The geometrically-designed miniature landscapes
include avenues, terraces, hedgerows, and water features.
Attesting to longings for idylls and intimacy, the gardens also
provided wonderful backdrops for festivities with dancing,
plays, and games.
02
03
01
01. Anton Peffenhauser, Foot Combat
Armor, 1591 02. Bonaventura Joseph
Mutschele, Youth as a Gentleman,
ca. 1762 03. Crossbow, 2 nd half of the
16 th century
9
Historical
Musical Instruments
ROOMS 42-43
The collection of historical musical instruments ranks among
the most significant of its kind worldwide, preserving instruments of every type from the 16 th to the 20 th centuries.
Internationally unparalleled is the large inventory of historical
keyboard instruments, with numerous early fortepianos of
primarily southern German and Viennese provenance. An additional focus is comprised of musical instruments from the
formerly Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, especially brass
and woodwind instruments, as well as string instruments and
lutes. Within the exhibition can be seen, among others, one
of the oldest surviving clarinets and one of the first German
grand pianos. The workshop of a clarinet and oboe maker
and a machine for winding piano strings demonstrate which
traditional mechanical techniques are still used for building
musical instruments in the 20 th century.
03
01
02
01. Isaac Ehe, Bass Trombone, 1612 02. Martinus van der Biest, Double Virginal (“Mother
and Child”), 1580 03. Figure of a Lady with a
Clavichord, ca. 1780
10
Museum
of Applied Arts
R O O M 41
After the first World’s Fair in London in 1851, particular
attention was paid to the decorative and applied arts and
led to the establishment of numerous museums in Europe.
The origin of the Bavarian Museum of Applied Arts in Nuremberg, founded in 1869, is also a result of this movement.
Its collection encompasses approximately 16,000 objects,
which have been in the GNM on loan from the Free State
of Bavaria since 2003. As the structure of the collection
was designed to be international, the holdings also include
exhibits from the Far East, the Middle East, and America.
Chronologically, the individual objects range from Antiquity
to the 1960s. Especially worth mentioning are the works
from around 1900, as the director of the Bavarian Museum
of Applied Arts established master’s courses in the applied
arts and was therefore also instrumental in their reform.
02
03
01
01. View into the Knights’ Hall 02. Friedrich Adler (Model), Ornamental Punch
Bowl, 1910 03. August Geigenberger,
Toy Car, 1903
11
A
Renaissance.
Baroque.
Enlightenment
Worlds of Play
B
C
Pharmacies,
History of Medicine
and History of Trades
Decorative Arts of
the 17th and 18 th Centuries
12
1
C
A
E
B
D
D
E
Clothing from
the 18 th to the 20 th Centuries
Scientific Instruments
13
Martin Behaim, Globe, 1492 – 93
14
Renaissance.
Baroque.
Enlightenment
RO OMS 103 -133
In these renovated rooms, art of the Early Modern Period
will be presented on the basis of a new exhibition concept.
The arc spans the period from the discovery of the New
World, with Behaim’s Globe from circa 1500, to the Rococo
and Enlightenment in the late 18 th century. The exhibition
covers major works from all areas of the museum’s collection. In addition to paintings and sculptures, it also includes
stained-glass windows, the decorative arts, domestic culture,
musical instruments, medals, textiles, and jewelry. Thematic
areas of focus, such as the Reformation, nature and Antiquity, as well as portraiture, make it possible to experience the
objects in the context of their cultural history. The exhibition
treats the collection and representation of art as comprehensive themes. At the same time, it will place the work of
exceptional artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach
the Elder, Rembrandt, as well as Peter Vischer the Elder, Ehrgott Bendl, and Franz Xaver Messerschmidt in a new light.
02
03
01
01. Ehrgott Bendl, John the Evangelist,
1697 02. Ship as Table Centerpiece
(Schlüsselfelder Ship), ca. 1503
03. Albrecht Dürer, Emperor Charlemagne, 1512/13 (Detail)
15
Apothecaries,
History of Medicine and
History of Trades
RO OMS 135 -137
Old apothecaries are fascinating for the visual system of
drawers and jars needed to prevent the confusion of frequently lethal substances with one another, as well for as
the luxuriant shop furnishings that reflected the importance
of the apothecary’s profession. The collection of medical
instruments, such as amputation saws and irons to cauterize
wounds, alludes to the painful methods of treatment. The
devices used to produce medicines that were often minimally
effective are reminiscent of alchemistic experiments.
Until the 19th century, urban trades were traditionally organized into guilds. Influencing every domain of life, these
associations found expression in trade symbols, trunks and
chests, jugs, goblets and coffin plates. On an internal and
external level, utilitarian and ceremonial objects represented
trades as powerful organizations of a social estate. Masterpiece models indicate the high standard of quality.
02
01
01. Three (Welcome) Goblets of the
Nuremberg Gingerbread Bakers,
1657/60 and 1683 02. Models of Masterpieces of the Nuremberg Compass
Makers, 16 th/17 th century 03. Hirsch
Apothecary, early 18th century
16
03
Decorative Arts of the
17th and 18 th Centuries
RO OMS 148 -154
Tapestries and elaborate wallpaper coverings, exquisite
furniture and magnificent ovens, as well as a myriad of
decorated objects, were a part of 17 th and 18 th century refined domestic culture. Furniture-making was characterized
by ingenuity and high craftsmanship; this is evidenced by
the opulent Baroque intarsia work by the Spindler brothers,
as well as by the clear and classical design voca-bulary of
a roll-top desk by David Roentgen. Even today, the complicated mechanism of the latter is astounding. The diversity
of the German-speaking cultural region found expression
in the applied arts: tin-glazed pottery, porcelain, and silver
bestow rooms and tables with festive splendor. Cut glass
gradually replaced chased metal drinking vessels, revealing
the artisan‘s technical brilliance and outstanding artistic
ability.
02
03
01
01. Hunting Goblet of Electoral Princes
Frederick Augustus of Saxony, ca. 1720
02. “Augustus Rex” Vase, ca. 1730 03.
David Roentgen, Roll-top Desk, ca. 1785
17
Clothing from the
18 th to the 20 th Centuries
RO OMS 145 -147
This exhibition features women‘s, men‘s, and children‘s
clothing beyond its stylistic changes to include its diverse
social references. The first section illustrates the most
significant stages from three centuries of the history of
clothing. The second section is devoted to particular
themes, including swimwear, undergarments, children’s
clothing, distinctive features of regional dress, wartime and
post-war make-do fashion, wedding garments, headgear,
shoes, and the political appropriation of clothing. Exclusively
original garments provide an understanding of forms and
modes of wear, materials, production, and the social symbolism of clothing. The joint presentation of the costume
and regional dress collections places this unique rural
clothing into its historical context, imparting new insights
into the relationship between fashion and regional dress.
02
03
01
01. Weinberg Hats (“Meraner
Saltner”), ca. 1825/1905
02. Evening Pumps, ca. 1910
03. Sailor Suit, ca. 1925/30
18
Scientific
Instruments
RO OMS 101-102
These instruments, used in research or developed as a
result thereof, stem from the fields of astronomy, geodesy,
chronometry, optics, and medicine. The collection of
astrolabes, i.e. disc-shaped astronomical instruments, is
of international renown. Among the gear clocks, a Nuremberg tower clock with an hourly chime, Philipp Matthäus
Hahn’s complex large armillary sphere, and the small
portable cylindrical clock ascribed to Peter Henlein are
especially noteworthy. In addition, there exists a largescale collection of diptych sundials with built-in compasses, made from metal, wood, and ivory. Although relatively
small in terms of numbers, the collection of scientific
instruments is one of the most outstanding of its kind.
02
03
01
01. Tower Clock with Hourly Chime, early 15 th century 02. Johannes Praetorius, Torquetum, 1568 03. Peter Henlein, Cylindrical Pocket Watch, ca. 1510
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Worlds of Play
A
B
Art and Culture of
the 20 th Century
The European
Ethnology Collection
20
2
A
B
C
C
Rural Life
21
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, The Drinker (Self-Portrait), 1914
22
Art and Culture
of the 20 th Century
R O O M S 210 -230
Established during the incipient Federal Republic of
Germany, this collection includes painting, sculpture,
and design. Among its earliest acquisitions was Ernst
Ludwig Kirchner’s self-portrait as a drinker, a major work
of Expressionism the artist painted in response to the
nationalistic blindness at the start of the First World War.
The collection displays artistic developments in Germany
with regard to transnational views of modernity. Examples
such as Berlin‘s “Sturm” Gallery by Herwath Walden or the
Bauhaus program shed light upon the concept of cultural
internationalism. The “ethnic” art of the Third Reich is
shown in contrast to the progressive currents of the Weimar Republic. Post-1945 art is exemplified by works from
the movements of Lyrical Abstraction and Fluxus in West
Germany, but also by paintings by artists from the GDR.
02
03
01
01. Hannah Höch, Man and
Machine, 1921 02. William Wauer,
Herwarth Walden, 1917 03. Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky (Design),
Frankfurt Kitchen, 1928
23
The European
Ethnology Collection
ROOMS 206-209
Established in approximately 1890, this collection is classified with early representations of European ethnology, which
was a growing discipline at the time. The impetus for its
formation was a desire to depict areas of rural life that had
been subjected to major changes under the potency of
industrialization. The trans-regional orientation of the collection is unique throughout Germany. Individual furniture
items and objects from rural society serve as focal points
and facilitate an overview of the most important furniture
types from different regions. The compilation of vessels
made from different materials reveals the influence of
the urban realm upon rural handicrafts and the symbolic
dependence between them.
02
03
01
01. Two Mangle Boards, late
century 02. Crock with Handle, Marburg
Ware, ca. 1840 03. Armoire from the
region around Linz a. d. D., 1790/1840
18 th
24
Rural Life
ROOMS 202-205
The section on rural life constitutes one focal point of the
GNM’s European ethnology collection. For the museum‘s
50 th anniversary in 1902, a wing with so-called rustic rooms
was opened. Since 1970, following war-related damages to
the collection, the rooms have been on exhibit in modified
form. The “Flett und Döns” – hearth and living room – display the domestic section of a Low German hall house and
are visitor-accessible. A living room from Hindeloopen in the
Netherlands prompted great interest at the Paris World’s
Fair in 1878, resulting in the arrival of corresponding pieces
into the Nuremberg collection. A room from the Hallig
islands, as well as rooms from Kremper Marsch, Unterinntal,
and Thurgau in Switzerland, convey a geographically farflung, yet idealized overview of the sophisticated lifestyle
of the wealthy landsman.
02
03
01
01. Hearth of a Low German Hall
House, 16 th to early 19 th century
02. Drop-leaf table from Hindeloopen,
2 nd half of the 18 th century 03. Room
from Thurgau, Paneling from 1666
25
Worlds of Play
A
B
Bourgeois Art and
Culture in the 19 th Century
Piety
26
3
B
A
S
S
Worlds of Play
27
Hermann Kellner the Elder, The Extraction of Natural Gas
and the Blessing of the Gaslight, 1864/67
28
Bourgeois Art
and Culture in the
19 th Century
RO OMS 301- 303
This all-encompassing collection was created after the
Second World War in order to reflect upon the cultural-historical backgrounds of its own era. It addresses the radical
change from an estates-based society to one of the middle
class, highlighting the diversity of independent, middle-class
perspectives. It outlines a framework of European development and at the same time, addresses trends specific to
Germany before 1871, when it was comprised of several
individual states. The subjects of Romantic Nationalism, the
failed March Revolution, and the founding of the German
Reich reflect stages of German national history with which
the museum is closely linked. Another emphasis is placed
on objects from the rapidly-evolving art industry, which
recall the dynamic of technical progress and the economic
upswing of the middle class.
02
03
01
01. Johann Heinrich Dannecker (Design 1805) / Theodor Wagner (Marble
Version 1837), Herm Bust of Friedrich
Schiller 02. Ferdinand G. Waldmüller,
Children in a Forest, 1858 03. View
into the collection
29
Piety
ROOM 305
The votive offerings and images on display offer a crosssection of various manifestations of piety in the Roman
Catholic regions of Southern Germany and Austria. Supplemented by donor portraits and paintings featuring pilgrimages from approximately 1500, the exhibit illustrates the
newly-revived, rural use of votives during the 17 th century.
The objects are fascinating sources of social, cultural, and
medical history.
The furnishings presented in this section also refer to the
human wish to privately affirm the presence of God and
various saints with symbols and paintings. A similar function holds true for the reverse-glass paintings produced in
large quantities during the 18 th and 19 th centuries.
02
03
01
01. Armoire, Miesbach region, ca.
1860 02. Ex Voto of Breasts, ca. 1830
03. Votive Image with the Fourteen
Holy Helpers, Bavaria, 1779
30
Worlds of Play.
Children’s Toys
and Adults’ Games
from 1550 to 1950
Four large 17 th -century dollhouses from Nuremberg’s
patriciate constitute the focal point of the toy collection.
They were created in order to instruct and on a small scale,
reflect the transformation of domestic culture. The Stromer
Dollhouse from 1639 is a faithful reproduction of a period
building. Boys’ and girls’ toys from the 18 th and 19 th centuries document gender-specific child-rearing practices.
Playthings for boys consisted of tin figures, wagons,
building blocks, and optical toys. Various dolls as well as
dollhouses belonged to the girls’ world of play. Another
sequence centers upon alternative toys designed by artists
at the start of the 20th century. Paper theaters and historical games for adults round out the exhibition.
02
03
01
01. Stromer Dollhouse, 1639
02. Bing Brothers, Automobile, 1898
03. Billy Goat Riding Toy, 1903
31
Selected Publications
Kleiderwechsel
Frauen-, Männer- und Kinderkleidung
des 18. bis 20. Jahrhunderts
(Die Schausammlungen des Germanischen
Nationalmuseums, Vol. 1). Nuremberg 2002.
272 pp., 57 black/white and 270 color
illustrations.
ISBN 978-3-926982-90-2
€ 34.80
Mit tel alter
Kunst und Kultur von der Spätantike
bis zum 15. Jahrhundert
(Die Schausammlungen des Germanischen
Nationalmuseums, Vol. 2). Nuremberg 2007.
452 pp., 21 black/white and 438 color
illustrations.
ISBN 978-3-936688-21-4
€ 39.00
Renaissance. Barock.
Aufklärung
Kunst und Kultur vom 16. bis zum 18.
Jahrhundert
(Die Schausammlungen des Germanischen
Nationalmuseums, Vol. 3). Nuremberg 2010.
564 pp., 643 color illustrations.
ISBN 978-3-936688-47-4
€ 49.00
Im p r i n t
Publisher: Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Kartäusergasse 1, 90402 Nuremberg, Germany
Tel. + 49 911 13 31-0, Fax + 49 911 13 31-200, www.gnm.de, [email protected]
Image credits: Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
Editor: Andrea Langer
Design: Hoffmann und Partner Werbeagentur GmbH, Magdeburg
Version: April 2010
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