Niklaus Manuel Deutsch I

Niklaus Manuel, called German, (* probably in 1484 in Bern, † April 28, 1530 in Bern ) was a poet, painter, graphic artist, reformer and Bernese statesman.

Life

Backed up data on the life of Niklaus Manuel are available only from 1509, also the year of birth is mentioned in later documents credible. Presumably, he is the son of a pharmacist based in Bern Emanuel de Alemanis (also Allemanis ) and Margaretha Fricker (also Frikart ), an extramarital daughter of originating from Brugg Thüringstrasse Fricker, town clerk in Bern. He is considered the founding father of the patrician family of Manuel

About his youth and education is not known. In 1509 he married Catherine Frisching, the daughter of Hans Frisching (I.), a former Vicar of Erlach, Aarburg, Echallens and Nidau ​​and a member of the Small Council. At the wedding he put (also Alleman ) from the hitherto borne the name Aleman and called himself only Niklaus Manuel. Signature and Seal of Manuel held since that time, the initials NMD that were written initially isolated and ligated and later joined by a dagger. It is generally believed that the letter "D" stands for the Germanized version of the name Aleman. From the marriage with Catherine had six children:

From 1510 Niklaus Manuel was a member of the Grand Council in Bern. In 1512 he was inducted into the company to top Gerwern. In 1513 he was first officially listed in the accounts of the city of Bern as a painter and was shown to several orders. The following year he bought the house justice Gasse 72, which remained until the 17th century by the family.

1516, he worked as a mercenary and took over as Secretary of the mercenary leader Albrecht Stein in French service on Mailänderfeldzug part. Between 1516/17 he started his famous Totentanz to paint on the wall of the Dominican monastery in Bern. It was followed by numerous other works. 1518 was the woodcut series The wise and the foolish virgin. Around 1520 came the last signed paintings.

In subsequent years, he increasingly devoted himself to his literary work. In 1520 he was Venner to Gerwern and thus held another important office in his hometown.

He successfully joined in Bern for the enforcement of the Reformation. His dramatic anti-Catholic Carnival Games were held in the population strong response and should have done more for the cause of the Reformation in Bern as the sermons of Berchtold Haller. Had a similar effect be Totentanz, which is not just represented the clergy flattering. Niklaus Manuel was one of the leading men of the Reformation in Bern and traveled in this mission numerous Swiss cities.

1522 Niklaus Manuel hired a second time as a field recorder with Albrecht von Stein and took on another expedition into Lombardy in part. In Novara, he was wounded while in the hand. Later, he also took part in the Battle of Bicocca. In 1523 he was bailiff in Erlach, Echallens and Nidau ​​. 1526 he served as deputy briefly at the confederate hearing in Baden. As of April 1528, he was first performed as a member of the Small Council of Bern. This office he held until his death.

Artistic work

In his drama Manuel united the Christian religious drama with elements of carnival game to live near current political pieces of artistic merit. Some of his works he illustrated himself a complete edition of his plays got Bächtold J. 1878.

As a painter and woodcut artist, he was influenced by the Italian Renaissance and Albrecht Dürer. In addition to Holbein, he was the most important representative of Renaissance painting on Swiss soil. He created designs for goldsmiths' work, altarpieces, portraits and other paintings. His strong colors and linearly moving images usually represented mythological or biblical scenes, as a glass painter, he was under the influence of Hans Baldung. The most famous of his works was the 1516/17 bis 1519/20 resulting Bernese Totentanz on the southern, more than a hundred meters long churchyard wall of the Bernese Dominican monastery, which was destroyed in 1660 during the demolition of the wall.

Also, as a builder, he worked, he was responsible for building the network vault in the choir of the Bern Cathedral.

A scupper still image Niklaus Manuel is on the facade of the main building of the Berner Kantonalbank, at his home justice Gasse 72, a memorial plaque was placed.

Works of art

Selected paintings

• Basel, Public Art Collection Pyramus and Thisbe. to 1513/14
• The holy St. Anne with the St. James and Rochus as intercessors for the plague -stricken humanity. to 1514/15
• The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. around 1517
• Double-sided painted panel. 1517 Front: Death as Landsknecht hugs a girl.
• Back: Bathsheba bathing.

• Two wings of an altar of St. Anne. 1515 Left wing (outside): The holy Eligius in his workshop.
• Left wing ( inside - separated ): The meeting at the Golden Gate.
• Right wing (outside): Saint Luke painting the Madonna.
• Right wing ( inside): The Birth of the Virgin.

• Both wings (outside): The Martyrdom of ten thousand Christians.
• Left wing ( inside): The Holy Achatius.
• Right wing (in): Saint Barbara.

• Front: The Adoration of the Magi.
• Back: The sending of the apostles. ( only fragmentarily preserved)

• Left wing (outside): The Temptation of St. Anthony by a woman.
• Left wing ( inside - separated ): St. Anthony heals the sick and demon-possessed.
• Right wing (outside): The Temptation of St. Anthony by the demons.
• Right wing ( inside): The Holy hermit Anthony and Paul in the desert.

• Wings of a Marie altar. 1515 Left wing (outside): The holy Eligius as a goldsmith.
• Left wing ( inside): The meeting at the Golden Gate.

Selected drawings

• Basel, Public Art Collection Disc crack it by holding the coat of arms of a woman hat Little City in front of a landscape with castle, as well as combatants wild men and their children nourishing wild women. to 1508 - 1512
• The Temptation of St. Anthony.

• Rock island. to 1510 - 1515
• Standing Witch. 1518

• Portrait of a young woman. to 1528 - 1530
• Portrait of a young man. to 1528 - 1530

• The Mocking of Christ. to 1513/14

• Landsknecht with flag and horse woman. 1522

• Allegory of Death.

Literary work

• From the Pope and contrast of Christ, 1522 ( Drama )
• A cute new song and responsibility of the storm half beschehen to Pigogga, 1524
• From the Pope and his priesthood, 1524 (Acting)
• The drain Chandler, 1525 (Acting)
• Barbali, 1526
• Faber and harrows Badenfahrt, 1526 ( poems)
• Disease and Testament of the fair, 1528 ( Satire )
• A new cute game of Elsli support thinking hubs, 1529