Alexander Colyn

Alexander Colin (also Colyn, Colins, Colyns or Collin; * 1527/1529 in Mechelen ( Antwerp province ); † August 17, 1612 in Innsbruck ) was a Flemish sculptor and carver of Mannerism.

Biography

Little is known about his youth and education, and it is only assumed that he had occasionally worked in France and Italy. 1558 he took over as already established artists commissioned to figures and ornaments at Ottheinrichsbau the Heidelberg Castle. Around 1560 he returned to Mechelen and there marries Marie de Vleeschouwer. The end of 1562 he appears in Habsburg service and moved to Innsbruck, which is his center of life for the rest of his life.

His first big job there is the continuation of sculptures and figures for the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I ( HRR ) in Innsbruck's Hofkirche. Further major orders for the appointed court sculptor to have been the tomb of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol and his first wife Philippine Welser. He created in 1607 the church Khajuraho am Jauerling the tomb of Hans Georg III. of Kuefstein. Likewise, the same grave stone of Bishop Johann Nas with the life-size image, and also his own grave stone in the cemetery to Innsbruck, the raising of Lazarus representing.

For the castle Neugebäude he was commissioned to produce two fountains. One of them is probably on the ground floor of the Orangerie of Schönbrunn.

Among his greatest accomplishments also the discovery of the marble quarries in Upper Mount is counted on the burner.