Life Matthias Grünewald

grünewald s john evangelist. work long thought self-portrait.

the details of life unusually unclear painter of significance @ date, despite fact commissions show had reasonable recognition in own lifetime. first source biography german art historian joachim von sandrart, describes him around 1505 working on exterior decoration of altarpiece albrecht dürer in frankfurt. sort of work typically performed apprentices , therefore estimate of age can reached, suggesting born in 1475. sandrart records grünewald had apprentice painter hans grimmer, become famous in time, of works lost in thirty years war. sandrart describes grünewald leading withdrawn , melancholy life, , marrying unhappily.

more recent investigations have provided further information on grünewald s life. in 1511 became court artist of uriel von gemmingen, archbishop of mainz, , worked next archbishop, albert of brandenburg. in 1512 settled in nearby frankfurt records indicate bought house , married anna, converted jew, aged 18. marriage not happy , in 1523 institutionalised variously described mental illness , demonic possession.

from 1512 1514 or 1515 worked on isenheim altarpiece, apparently in partnership mathis, variously surnamed nithart, neithart, von würzburg (after place of birth), or gothardt. grünewald seems have left isenheim in hurry, returning frankfurt, , subsequent poverty suggests not paid altarpiece. in 1527 entered services of wealthy , noble von erbach family, apparently child (whether own or adopted, unclear). died in 1532, although sources vary.

there has been considerable uncertainty details of life. in 1938 walter karl zülch published theory grünewald , partner nithart/gothardt same person; nithart/gothardt painter, engineer, , water artist born in würzburg in 1460s or maybe 1470s , dying in 1528. theory discredited, although more recent historians believe nithart/gothardt may have pretended grünewald business reasons.

grünewald s first dated painting in munich, dated 1503 on later note apparently records older inscription. there speculation grünewald s politics, people associating him reformation or support lower classes. may have left archbishop of mainz because of sympathies either german peasants war, or lutheranism (he had lutheran pamphlets , papers @ death).