Martin Bussert or Morten Bussert (birth date unknown, dead after 1552) Was a sculptor and Royal Master Builder in Denmark in the early of 1500s. His last name is sometimes recorded as "Bossart" or "Bussart".

Biography

Bussert's family ties are not known but he was married to daughter of Hans Mikkelsen, mayor of Malmø. When King

Christian II A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Ch ...

was forced from the throne and exiled Hans Mikkelsen stayed loyal and followed the king. Bussert who lived in Copenhagen from 1523 instead pledged his loyalty to Frederik I who secured Bussert's house in the city. The majority of the property of Bussert's in-laws was confiscated. In 1529 the king gave Bussert Slangerup Kloster for life and Bussert remained loyal to his king through the tumultuous reign. During the siege of Copenhagen in 1535–36 he joined the political party seeking a settlement with

Christian III Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

. Bussert attempted to have the confiscated property returned with little success but was granted the right to manage some of it by Christian III. Bussert is mentioned for the last time on 2 December 1552 and may have died during the plague in Copenhagen in 1553. Slangerup Kloster was given to Bussert's son that year.

Royal Master Builder

Bussert was the Royal Master Builder from the early 1520s and must have worked on some royal projects but his name can only be connected to some works on

Copenhagen Castle Copenhagen Castle () was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace. History In 1167, Bishop Absalon (c. 112 ...

and buildings connected to it, the new

Aalborghus Aalborghus Castle () is a castle in Aalborg, Denmark. It is a half-timbered (''bindingsværk'') castle built by King Christian III from 1539 to around 1555 initially as a fortification. A building had existed at the site before Christian III's ...

, a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

for

Aarhus Cathedral Aarhus Cathedral () is a cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the longest and tallest church in the country, at in length and in height. The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the 12th century and it is the main edifice of the diocese of ...

and the drawing for the fortress at Krempe with Jacob Binck in 1550. Some works during this period may have been mistakenly attributed to Bussert. The type of

Manor House A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

said to usher in a breakthrough in

renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

in Denmark, such as

Hesselagergård Hesselagergård (or Hesselager Manor), located near Gudme in the southeast of the Danish island Funen, is the oldest Renaissance building in Denmark. It was built by Johan Friis, one of the most powerful men in Denmark during the reigns of Christ ...

, was thought to be works by Bussert but today it is believed Jacob Brinck may be the true architect. Bussert and Brinck worked together on the fortress at Krempe so a partnership is not improbable.

Sculptor

Bussert is mentioned in early documents as a sculptor. The

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

contains a stone from the Copenhagen castle with a

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

s queen Elisabeth from before 1523 is thought to be the work of a young Martin Bussert. File:Elisabeth (Isabella af Burgund).JPG, Isabella of Austria. Kong Hans af Danmark, Norge og Sverige.jpg, John of Denmark. File:

Works

* Arbejder ved

Københavns Slot Copenhagen Castle () was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace. History In 1167, Bishop Absalon (c. 1128 ...

(1542) * His own tombstone (1544, originally in Nikolaj Kirke. Preserved fragment in

Museum of Copenhagen The Museum of Copenhagen ( Danish: Københavns Bymuseum) is the official museum of Copenhagen, Denmark, documenting the city's history from the 12th century to the present. History The Museum of Copenhagen was founded in 1901. Starting in 1925, ...

.) * Works at

(1547) * Tøjhus at Copenhagen Castle (1550) * Drawing to the fortress Krempe in

Holsten Holsten Brewery (Holsten-Brauerei AG) is a brewing company founded in 1879 in what is now Hamburg's Altona-Nord quarter. The group now has seven breweries in Germany. Its nationally distributed premium brand is the pale lager ''Holsten Pilsener' ...

(1550, with Jacob Binck) * Spire to west tower,

(paid 1552).

References

External links

{{Authority control (arts) 16th-century Danish artists Bussert, Martin Danish stonemasons