Tilman Riemenschneider

Tilman Riemenschneider (c.1460-1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver of the late Gothic period, one of the most prolific and talented artists of medieval Germany. Born in Heiligenstadt, he settled in Wurzburg around 1483 and opened a large workshop that produced altarpieces, tomb monuments, and devotional figures for churches across Franconia.

Riemenschneider pioneered a radical approach: he left his limewood altarpieces unpainted, trusting the natural grain and his precise carving to carry the emotional weight. This was unusual at a time when all wooden sculpture was polychromed. His Holy Blood Altar in Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the Mary Altar in Creglingen are among the finest surviving late Gothic altarpieces. Our collection includes 3 works at the Cleveland Museum of Art.