Written by Nicole Gaudier, Curatorial Intern
Master of the Stötteritz Altarpiece, Mother of Sorrows, c. 1470, Oil on panel, Gift of Mrs. Clifford G. Schultz in memory of Mr. Clifford G. Schultz, AG.1984.1.1, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens would like to present The Art of Empathy: The Cummer Mother of Sorrows in Context. This exhibition is designed to showcase a masterwork in The Cummer’s permanent collection, Mother of Sorrows (c.1470). It is one of only five known works by the anonymous Master of the Stötteritz Altarpiece, and was declared the “most important discovery in early German painting” by art historian Colin Eisler when it entered the collection in 1984.
Martin Schongauer (1445-1491), Man of Sorrows between Mary and John, c. 1470–1475, Engraving on paper shaped to the arched top, Gift of George W. Davison (B.A. Wesleyan 1892), 1952, DAC1952.D1.8, The Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
The exhibition, curated by David S. Areford, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will present new art historical and technical research that suggests that this work is a crucial link to the most important artists of Nuremberg especially Hans Pleydenwurff and Michael Wolgemut, the teacher of Albrecht Dürer, as well as the German painter and printmaker Martin Schongauer. It also aims to illuminate our understanding of the world of late medieval religious devotion, especially the cultivation of empathy.
Master of the Starck Triptych (active c.1480 – c.1495,) The Raising of the Cross, c.1480–1495, Oil on panel, Patrons’ Permanent Fund, 1997.100.1.a, National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Twenty-one carefully selected artworks, explore the devotional and artistic context of the Mother of Sorrows painting. Nineteen of the works are borrowed from collections in museums in the United States and Germany. These include The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung in Munich, Germany, The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., Stiftsmuseum, Museen der Stadt Aschaffenburg in Aschaffenburg, Germany, The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, The Davison Art Center of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and The Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation in Houston.
Michael Wolgemut (1434-1519), The Left Hand, 1491, Colored woodcut, Acquired by Henry Walters, 91.1086, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.
Michael Wogemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, The Right Hand, 1491, Colored woodcut, Acquired by Henry Walters, 91.1086, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.
The exhibition includes works by a range of artists including: Albrecht Dürer, Martin Schongauer, anonymous masters such as the Master of the Stötteritz Altarpiece and the Master of the Aachen Madonna, and also works by unidentified artists.
Master of the Aachen Madonna (active c.1460–1470), Crucifixion, c. 1460, Colored metalcut, 1951 Purchase Fund, 51.69, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.
The objects are arranged in two thematic sections: Hands, Hair, and Veil: Meaningful Details and Seeing and Weeping: Passion and Compassion.
Master of the Dinkelsbühler Kalvarienberges, Diptych with Christ as Man of Sorrows and Virgin Mary, c. 1470, Tempera on wood, Inv.Nr.MSA 12576, Stiftsmusuem, Museen der Stadt Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenburg, Germany.
Hands, Hair, and Veil: Meaningful Details section elaborates on the cultural and religious meanings of these details in relation to the cult of relics and various devotional practices.
Martin Schongauer (1445–1491), The Little Nativity , c. 1480–1490, Engraving, 67333D, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, Germany.
Seeing and Weeping: Passion and Compassion section explores images and texts designed to elicit an empathetic response to Christ’s Passion and the emotional suffering of his mother Mary.
School of Picardy, Pietà, c. 1460–1470, Oil on panel,
1991.22, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, Houston, Texas.
This exhibition will be held in the Millner Gallery from November 26, 2013 to February 16, 2014.
