The Ambras Gothic Sculptures Collection dates back to the time of Emperor Maximilian I (1459 - 1519), the great-grandfather of Archduke Ferdinand II.
The high-quality figures were collected in the 19th century and exhibited at Ambras Castle Innsbruck from 1880. The Tyrolean works, influenced by southern German art, are juxtaposed with sculptures from Lower Austria.
The main work is the imposing St George's Altar, which was commissioned by Maximilian I and made by Sebold Bocksdorfer between 1510 and 1515.
St George's Altar after 1516 (before 1519), artist: Sebald Bocksdorfer
The Gothic Sculptures Collection
The emperor, who founded a Brotherhood of St George in 1493 and a Society of St George in 1503, was particularly attached to the knightly saint, who symbolised the ideals of the Crusades and defence against the Ottomans.
This winged altar with free-standing figures was worked in all directions, which is indicative of the Renaissance setting. The wings of the altar show St Catherine and St Barbara as well as St Christopher and St Florian, which were designed as portraits of Maximilian I's grandsons, the later Emperors Charles V (1500 - 1558) and Ferdinand I (1503 - 1564). The St George's Altar was originally located in St George's Chapel on the north-western edge of Ambras Castle Park, which was demolished in 1777.
The high-quality pieces, most of which were created in Lower Austria, but also in the Inn Valley, Salzburg, South Tyrol and the Allgäu region, are a late result of the Habsburgs' eagerness to collect in the 19th century.
Death of the Virgin Mary, Brixen, around 1520
Mary on the crescent moon, Pöggstall (Lower Austria), before 1500
St Verena, South Tyrol, around 1520
The breastfeeding Madonna of Ambras Castle
One of the main works by Lukas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) is the Maria Lactans, the breastfeeding Madonna. Commissioned by the Saxon Elector Johann Georg, Cranach created a large number of depictions of the Virgin Mary from 1535 onwards, so that one can almost speak of a serial production. The famous Mariahilf-Gnadenbild in Innsbruck Cathedral also dates from this period, as does the breastfeeding Madonna at Ambras Castle.
Maria lactans, Lucas Cranach the Elder, around 1535
Since 1996, the collection has been housed on the ground floor of the keep, which was built at the end of the 13th century. Together with parts of the north wing and the chapel, the keep is part of the medieval section of the castle. It served as a defence tower and a safe refuge during sieges.
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