Multscher, Hans

Multscher, Hans häns mo͝olˈchər [key], c.1400–1467, outstanding German sculptor and painter of the Swabian school of Ulm. Early in life he traveled to the Netherlands and Burgundy. Probably influenced by the work of Claus Sluter, he developed a powerfully realistic figural style in both painting and sculpture. About 1427 Multscher settled in Ulm. For the east facade of the town hall he carved figures of Charles the Great and equestrian statues of the kings of Poland and Bohemia. In 1437 he painted the Wurzacher Altarpiece (partially lost; Berlin). He also worked on the famous altarpiece (1457) at Sterzing (now Vipiteno) in the Tyrol. For this work, a combination of painting and sculpture (now dispersed), he executed sculptures of the Virgin and saints, while the wings were painted by another artist.

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