The altarpiece of the Holy Cross in the Church of the Assumption in Munich Ramersdorf is dated in the late 15th century. It is ascribed to Erasmus Grasser (*um 1450 d1518), a famous sculptor from Munich. Its close conjunction between the wooden carvings in the front and the painted panels in the back, in which the depiction continues to, make the altarpiece a unique example of late medieval art. Throughout its history it was highly valued, a fact that is documented by several restoration and remodelling campaigns.
The thesis aimed to study and investigate this history of alterations. To achieve that, a combination of documentation techniques and several research methods was used for the examination of the altarpiece. Thus the restorations, that most impacted its appearence, could be identified and described:
The earliest restoration of the altarpiece of the Holy Cross took place in the 17th century during which the structural parts were replaced and the wooden carvings were overpainted. The baroque arrangement lasted until the 1860’s when the altarpiece was re-restored by Joseph Radspieler. In addition to the structural conservation, he oversaw the renewal of the shrine in a neo-Gothic manner, as well as the overpainting of the carvings and parts of the panels. At the beginning of the 20th century the two angels accompanying Christ at the cross were lost. During the Second World War, the original parts of the altarpiece were hidden in a church outside Munich. After the damage sustained during the war, conservation efforts in the medieval artworks began. Alongside structural works, the 19th century design was reduced, the overpaint on the panels removed, and revisions were made to the painting on the wooden carvings.
As a result, the altarpiece of the Holy Cross is today a composition of altered parts from the Late Middle Ages and parts from the 19th and 20th centuries.
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The altarpiece of the Holy Cross in the Church of the Assumption in Munich Ramersdorf is dated in the late 15th century. It is ascribed to Erasmus Grasser (*um 1450 d1518), a famous sculptor from Munich. Its close conjunction between the wooden carvings in the front and the painted panels in the back, in which the depiction continues to, make the altarpiece a unique example of late medieval art. Throughout its history it was highly valued, a fact that is documented by several restoration and rem...
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