Arent Passer

Arent Passer (* around 1560 in The Hague, † 1637 in Tallinn ) was an Estonian sculptor and stonemason Dutch origin.

Life and work

Arent Passer was born the son of a carpenter. He settled in 1589 in Reval, where he worked until his death. He was guild master of the guild and the Steinmetz Olaigilde.

His most famous works are the splendid sarcophagus, and the epitaph for the Swedish commander and governor of Livonia Pontus de la Gardie and his wife Sofia Gyllenhielm in Revaler Cathedral ( 1595 ) and the facade work on the Meeting House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads in Tallinn ( 1597-1600 ).

In addition, more ostentatious grave times come in ravaler Cathedral of him: for Caspar von Tiesenhausens and his wife ( 1591 ), Carl Huringson Horn, Otto von Uexküll and his wife (1601 ), Richard Rosenkrantz ( 1623 ) and Thomas Ramm (1632 ) and the epitaph Antonius van der Busch in St. Nicholas' Church and the tomb for Evert Horn in the Cathedral of Turku.

Passers style is heavily influenced by Francesco Primatice and Rosso Fiorentino in the sense of Mannerism. He was one of the most important architects of the Renaissance in Reval. Besides his work as a stonemason Passer was active as a city architect, engineer and Fortifikationsexperte.

Passer is buried in Revaler Olav's Church. His son Dionysius Passer continued the work of the Father. At Arent Passer -known students count Heinrich and Jakob Dam.