The Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame (or Frauenhausmuseum in German) is the city of Strasbourg's museum for Upper Rhenish

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

s and decorative arts, dating from the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

until 1681. The museum is famous for its collection of original

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

s, glass windows, architectural fragments, as well as the building plans of

Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or ''Cathédrale de Strasbourg'', german: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg or ''Straßburger Münster''), also known as Strasbourg ...

. It has a considerable collection of works by Peter Hemmel von Andlau, Niclas Gerhaert van Leyden,

Nikolaus Hagenauer Nikolaus Hagenauer (c. 1445/1460 — before 1538) was a German late gothic sculptor from Hagenau (Alsace in the Holy Roman Empire, present day France). He was most likely born as Niklas Zimmerlin, but was also documented and signed works as Nicl ...

, Ivo Strigel,

Konrad Witz Konrad Witz (1400/1410 probably in Rottweil, Germany – winter 1445/spring 1446 in Basel, in current day Switzerland) was a German painter, active mainly in Basel. His 1444 panel '' The Miraculous Draft of Fishes'' (a portion of a lost altarp ...

Hans Baldung Hans Baldung (1484 or 1485 – September 1545), called Hans Baldung Grien, (being an early nickname, because of his predilection for the colour green), was a painter, printer, engraver, draftsman, and stained glass artist, who was considered t ...

and Sebastian Stoskopff.

Purpose

The ''Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame'' was created in order to merge, under a single roof, four thematically related but differently focussed, collections of all types of Upper Rhenish art created prior to 1681. It is located in the half-Gothic, half-Renaissance core building of the ''Fondation de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame'', and in several early Baroque timber-framed houses which surround it.

Origins

The first documentary evidence of the Strasbourg ''Fondation de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame'', dates back to 1281, and it is still responsible for the maintenance of the cathedral. In addition to the building plans, which have been preserved from the very beginning, they also conserve architectural artifacts such as fragments of the choir screen, which was destroyed in 1681 and the originals of the sculptures which were removed or knocked down during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

and were later replaced by copies. The ''Société pour la conservation des monuments historiques d’Alsace'' (Society for the Conservation of the Historical Monuments of Alsace), endeavored to rescue the most valuable components and decorations (altars, statues, vessels, tapestries) from churches, cloisters and chapels which had been abandoned to destruction or decay throughout Alsace. The painting collection of the city, restored by

Wilhelm von Bode Wilhelm von Bode (10 December 1845 – 1 March 1929) was a German art historian and museum curator. Born Arnold Wilhelm Bode in Calvörde, he was ennobled in 1913. He was the creator and first curator of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, now c ...

around 1890, exhibited a primary focus on regional masters, as noted by the donation of the " Portrait of the canon Ambrosius Volmar Keller", a masterpiece of

from the private collection of

Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...

Museum

Finally, in the new museum of decorative arts of the city, the "Hohenlohe Museum", works of decorative art from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Early Baroque were also exhibited. These collections, which had been housed in various locations, were united in 1931 in the newly founded ''Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame''. In 1956, after the repair of the damage caused by the bombing of Strasbourg during the war in 1944, the museum was re-opened, featuring its expanded collection. In addition to the cathedral sculptures, glass windows, etc., the collection also features valuable artifacts salvaged from other Strasbourg churches, such as the Temple Neuf, which was destroyed in 1870, the Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux Church, renovated in 1867, and the Église Sainte-Madeleine, destroyed by fire in 1904. The romanesque components (cloister, baptismal font) from St Trophimus' Church, Eschau and the stained glass windows from

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (french: Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul) of Wissembourg is frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as the second largest Gothic church of Alsace after Strasbourg Cathedral. However, the building, with its interior ...

and

Mutzig Mutzig ( or ; german: Mützig) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est, in north-eastern France. The commune of Mutzig is located at the entrance of the Bruche river valley, on the Route des Vins d'Alsace. History Evidences of h ...

are noteworthy. Included in the collection are many late gothic altars assigned to

anonymous masters In art history, an anonymous master is an Old Master whose work is known, but whose name is lost. Renaissance Only in the Renaissance did individual artists in Western Europe acquire personalities known by their peers (some listed by Vasari in hi ...

of the Schongauer School.

Gallery

File:Christ de Wissembourg.JPG, Romanesque stained glass window "Head of Christ" from

Wissembourg Wissembourg (; South Franconian: ''Weisseburch'' ; German: ''Weißenburg'' ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France. It is situated on the little river Lauter close to the border between France and Germany a ...

(11th or 12th century) File:Grande verrière avec Calvaire, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Maurice et la Vierge à l'Enfant Ancienne église Saint-Maurice de Mutzig, Bas-Rhin Vers 1300-1310.jpg, Gothic stained glass window "Calvary" from

(early 14th century) File:Le Christ en croix ( MOND ).jpg, Gothic stained glass window "Christ on the Cross" from Strasbourg (early 15th century) File:Musee-de-l-Oeuvre-Notre-Dame-Strasbourg-IMG 1453.jpg, A romanesque relief capital on display at the museum File:StrasbourgMuséeOeuvre NotreDameArtRoman (2).JPG, Romanesque baptismal font by the Master of Eschau File:Circoncision-Chartreuse-Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame (1).jpg, Gothic wooden relief "

Circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...

of Christ", from Strasbourg (late 15th century) File:Musee-de-l-Oeuvre-Notre-Dame-Strasbourg-IMG 4015.jpg, Statues from Notre-Dame de Strasbourg File:StrasbourgMuséeOeuvreNotreDameStatuesCathédrale (10).JPG, Statues from Notre-Dame de Strasbourg File:Statues 'L'Église' et 'La Synagogue' de la Cathédrale de Strasbourg, original gothique conservé au Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame-2.jpg, Ecclesia and Synagoga from Notre-Dame de Strasbourg File:Nicolaus von Leyden, Self-portrait3.JPG, Self-portrait of

Nikolaus Gerhaert Nikolaus Gerhaert (c.1420 – 28 June 1473), also known as Nikolaus Gerhaert van Leyden, was a Dutch sculptor, although aside from his sculptures, few details are known of his life. He worked in both stone and wood. Biography Gerhaert is consi ...

File:Nicolas de Haguenau-Buste d'homme accoudé 2-Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame (2).jpg, "Leaning Man" by

File:Strasbourg, Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame 07.JPG, Altar by Ivo Strigel File:Strasbourg, Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame 11.JPG, "Holy Monk" by

Hans Wydyz Hans Wydyz or Weiditz the Elder (c.1470–1520) was a sculptor and artist operating in Germany in the early 16th century. His work is usually signed H. W. near the base. He sculpted mainly in wood and also created woodcuts. His work is not o ...

File:Vierge_au_jardinet,_Maître_rhénan_anonyme,_Musée_de_l'Oeuvre_Notre-Dame.jpg,

Anonymous master In art history, an anonymous master is an Old Master whose work is known, but whose name is lost. Renaissance Only in the Renaissance did individual artists in Western Europe acquire personalities known by their peers (some listed by Vasari in hi ...

: "Madonna in a Garden" File:Konrad Witz 007.jpg,

: " Sts Catherine and Mary Magdalene" File:Baldung Vierge treille mba mb.jpg,

: " Madonna in the Vine Arbour" File:Lucas Cranach d. Ä., Bildnis eines jungen Mannes (1533) (2).jpg,

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is kno ...

: "Portrait of a young Man" File:The five senses or Summer, by Sébastien Stoskopff.jpg, Sebastian Stoskopff: "Summer or the Five Senses" File:StrasbourgOeuvreNotreDameArmoires (3).JPG, 17th-century cupboards

Literature

*Cécile Dupeux: ''Strasbourg, Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame'', Éditions Scala, Paris, 1999, *Cécile Dupeux et al.: ''Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame. Arts du Moyen-Âge et de la Renaissance'', Éditions des musées de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 2013, *Cécile Dupeux, Jean-David Touchais et al.: ''Œuvre Notre-Dame Museum. Arts of the Middle Ages'', Éditions des musées de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 2021,

External links

Musees-strasbourg.org: Official Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame de Strasbourg website
�� {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Strasbourg Decorative arts museums in France FRAME Museums Art museums established in 1931 Musee de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame Musee de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame Musee de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame