Strasbourg 1560-1600. Art revival. EXTENSION

from 03/30/2024 to 06/30/2024

In the late 16th century, Strasbourg had an eminent, vibrant art scene, owing largely to its privileged geographic position at the centre of Europe. The exhibition will examine this last, underexplored stage of the Renaissance.

After a decline in activity following the Protestant Reformation, Strasbourg had a period of art revival. This revival is still underexplored, because much of the art that was produced has disappeared or was dispersed. The exhibition will examine this last stage of the Renaissance, marked by the dissemination throughout all of the art forms of the new ornamental vocabulary inspired by the aesthetic principles of Antiquity, and its adoption by artists and craftsmen of all specialities.

The exhibition will also provide a more general reframing of the period, in order to examine the era’s literary output and the vibrancy of the educational and scientific realms, as well as publishing.

The most significant contribution is that of two prominent artists, who were illustrators, engravers and mural painters, and who brought the ornamental motifs of mannerism to Strasbourg. Tobias Stimmer (1539-1584), a prolific engraver, also painted the decorations on the monumental astronomical clock at the cathedral. His grisaille oil on canvas sketches for the clock sculptures (circa 1571), recently restored, are being presented to the public for the first time. In a more fantasy-filled realm, the plates of the three volumes of Architectura by Wendel Dietterlin (1551-1599), also known for the production of many murals, are amazing for their energy, verve and decorative extravagance, remaining influential until the Baroque period.