Life Stefan Lochner

1 life

1.1 life
1.2 move cologne , success
1.3 plague , death

life

the outline of historical stefan lochner s life has been established small number of records, relating commissions, payments , property transfers. there no documents relating life, contributing factor being loss of archival records supposed birthplace during french occupation of cologne.

the primary sources relating lochner s life june 1442 payment city of cologne in relation friedreich s visit; deeds of 27 october 1442 , 28 august 1444 outlining transfer of ownership of house @ roggendorp; october 1444 deeds purchase of 2 houses in st alban; 24 june 1447 registration citizen of cologne; december 1447 election municipal council; christmas 1450 re-election post; august 1451 correspondence city council; 22 september 1451 announcement of setting of plague graveyard next property, , finally, court records dated 7 january 1452 detailing appropriation of property.

early life

through threadbare clues , supposition, centred around relatively wealthy couple perished during plague, believed parents, lochner thought have come meersburg, near lake constance. georg , alhet lochner citizens , died there in 1451. stefan referred stefan lochner of constance in 2 documents dated 1444 , 1448. however, there no archival evidence there, , style bears no trace of art in region. there no further records of him or family in town except mention of lochners (a uncommon name) in village of hagnau, 2 kilometers meersburg.

however records indicate lochner s talent recognised age. may have been of netherlandish origin or worked there master, possibly robert campin. lochner s work seems influenced jan van eyck , rogier van der weyden; elements of styles can detected in structure , colourisation of lochner s mature works, in last judgment, although neither thought master whom studied.

move cologne , success

by 1440s, cologne largest , wealthiest city in holy roman empire. controlled , taxed passage of trade flanders saxony, , became financial, religious , artistic center. city had long tradition of producing high quality visual art, , in 14th century output considered equal of vienna , prague. cologne s artists concentrated on more personal , intimate subject matters, , area became known production of small panels of great lyrical charm , loveliness, reflected deep devotion of writings of german mystics .

detail, dombild altarpiece

during 1430s, painting in cologne had become conventional , old fashioned, , still under influence of courtly style of master of saint veronica, active until 1420. after arrival lochner, earlier exposed netherlandish painters , working in oils, eclipsed other artists in city. according art historian emmy wellesz, after lochner s arrival painting in cologne became infused new life , perhaps enriched earlier exposure netherlandish artists. became celebrated capable , modern painter in city, known maister steffan zu cöln .

lochner first appears in extant records in 1442, 9 years before died. moved cologne received commission city council provision of decorations visit of emperor frederick iii. lochner seemingly established , although other artists involved in preparing event, responsible important arrangements. centrepiece seems have been dombild altarpiece, described modern art historians important commission of fifteenth century in cologne . recorded having been paid forty marks , ten shillings effort.

lochner bought house wife lysbeth around 1442. nothing else known , couple apparently had no children. in 1444 acquired 2 larger properties, zome carbunckel , near saint alban church, , zome alden gryne . historians have speculated whether these acquisitions indicate need house growing group of assistants due rising commercial success. lived in 1 house , worked in other. purchases may have caused strain; in around 1447 seems have encountered financial difficulties, , forced remortgage homes. second mortgages taken out in 1448.

plague , death

crucifixion, 1445. alte pinakothek, munich

in 1447 local painter s guild elected lochner representative municipal councilor, or ratsherr. appointment implies had lived in cologne since @ least 1437, had been living in city ten years take position. had not taken citizenship immediately, possibly avoid paying 12 guilder fee. obliged act ratsherr, , on 24 june 1447 became burgher of cologne. role of municipal councilor held one-year term, 2 years vacated before reoccupation. lochner re-elected second term in winter of 1450–51, died in office.

there outbreak of plague in 1451, , there no surviving records of him after christmas of year. on 16 august 1451 council of meersburg informed officials in cologne lochner unable attend , estate of parents, deceased. presumed ill; plague widespread in area. on 22 september saint alban parish requested permission burn victims in lot next house – there no longer room in cemetery. lochner died sometime between date , december 1451 when creditors took possession of house. records 1451 not mention lysbeth, presumably dead.