Michael Ostendorfer: Ansicht von Regensburg, 1552

Staatliche Bibliothek Regensburg

Description

The city view by the Regensburg artist Michael Ostendorfer from 1552 is one of the oldest full views of the major city on the Danube. After the famous depiction of the city in Hartmann Schedel's world chronicle from 1493, a woodcut by Hans von Kulmbach from 1502 and a view that appeared in Sebastian Münster's 'Cosmographia' (1549), it is this view of the city that shows the appearance of Regensburg in the early modern era with the greatest richness of detail. Ostendorfer shows Regensburg with its dynasty towers and the cathedral with towers which were unfinished at that time. Ostendorfer's monogram (MO) is also clearly visible. Michael Ostendorfer, who presumably studied under Albrecht Altdorfer (1480-1538), is one of the most important artists from Regensburg. His most important work is the Reformation altar, which he completed in 1555 for Regensburg's Neupfarrkirche. Ostendorfer died in Regensburg in 1559. The coloured sheet shown here with the view of Regensburg to the south, erroneously designated as north here ("towards midnight"), from 1552 has survived in just two copies. While the Historisches Museum der Stadt Regensburg (Historical Museum of Regensburg) owns an uncoloured proof from the holdings of the Historischer Verein für Oberpfalz und Regensburg (Historical Society for the Upper Palatinate and Regensburg), the sheet kept in the Staatliche Bibliothek Regensburg (Regensburg State Library) is the only one that documents, so to speak, the sales version of the time. Datum: 2020

Author

Bernhard Lübbers

Rights Statement Description

CC0