Germany, Bavaria, 18th century / c. 1735–40
Altarpiece with Relics
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Altarpiece with Relics as sculpture (Germany, Bavaria, 18th century · c. 1735–40).
Götz covers every surface in gold leaf, giving each part of the object equal importance, rather than simply framing a central picture. In this distinctively Central European approach, figural narrative is subordinate to the overall ensemble.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as gilded wood, with relics in niches: gilded wood, mother-of-pearl, ebony, red silk, gold wire, seed pearls, rock crystal, pen and ink on pape and credits Joseph Matthias Götz (German, 1696–1760).
The museum's collection notes: Götz covers every surface in gold leaf, giving each part of the object equal importance, rather than simply framing a central picture. In this distinctively Central European approach, figural narrative is subordinate to the overall ensemble. Götz designed this object to rest on top of an altar, probably in front of a larger painted or sculpted decorative scheme. The work contains relics seen through the small windows on the perimeter. These small remains of holy figures demonstrate the persistence of a medieval Catholic tradition well into the 1700s.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtAltarpiece with RelicsOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.