Tilman Riemenschneider’s Mastery of Sculpting the Virgin Mary

Analysis of two Riemenschneider sculptures of the Virgin Mary showcase the artist’s ability to capture detailed emotion.

Tilman Riemenschneider’s sculptures: (Left) "The Virgin of the Annunciation," circa 1495. (Right) "Virgin and Child Enthroned," circa 1500–1505. Stéphane Maréchalle/Louvre Museum

Active during the end of the Middle Ages, the prolific German artist Tilman Riemenschneider (circa 1460–1531) created some of the era’s most beautiful and technically virtuosic sculptures. His artworks featured primarily religious subjects, and represent the zenith of the late Gothic style’s realism, expressiveness, and elegance. In addition, his work heralded the coming Northern Renaissance’s appreciation of humanism.

Among the most important artists of his time, Riemenschneider’s oeuvre is not well known in the United States, as most of his works are in European museum collections or remain preserved in their original religious settings. Analysis of two Riemenschneider depictions of the Virgin Mary, made in different media and housed on different continents, showcases his keen attention to detail and ability to convey a subject’s introspection.

A Master of Limewood and Stone

Personal details about Riemenschneider are sketchy. Scholars know he was born between 1459 and 1462 in the town of Heiligenstadt in the German state of Thuringia. He may have studied sculpting in central and southwestern German provinces. By the time Riemenschneider moved to the Franconian episcopal city of Würzburg (in present-day Bavaria), where he settled permanently, he was a fully trained artist. In 1485, two years after arriving, Riemenschneider opened his own workshop.