The Bode Museum: A new lens on medieval art

At the heart of Berlin’s Museum Island, the Bode Museum offers a unique opportunity to engage with Christian art. The museum’s collection of medieval art, in particular, provides an intriguing opportunity to explore these artifacts outside of their traditional religious context.

Bode Museum, Berlin.

Main entrance hall of the Bode Museum.

One of the most profound experiences the museum offers is the chance to view religious artifacts outside their traditional settings. Removing these artworks from the confines of churches and cathedrals opens up a whole new view of them, and the museum allows a closer, more personal inspection.

Without the imposing context of religious dogma, each piece can be appreciated in its entirety. The details emerge more vividly: the patina that speaks of age, the subtle marks of wear that reveal centuries of devout handling, and the intricate craftsmanship that showcases the artist’s dedication.

Entrance to the main exhibition area at the Bode Museum.

This contextual shift not only brings the physical attributes of the artwork into sharper focus but also offers a fresh perspective on its inherent spirituality. Removed from religious doctrines, viewers are free to connect with the art on a purely emotional and aesthetic level. Each piece, once an instrument of religious narrative, can now be appreciated as a standalone work of art. Its beauty and meaning are no longer dictated solely by religious interpretations, but also by the individual perceptions of each viewer.

Wall arrangement at the Bode Museum

Moreover, this environment fosters a deeper connection with the artists themselves. Without the overwhelming presence of religious dogma, one can delve into the spirituality of the creator. What were their motivations? What emotions did they pour into their work? Each artifact becomes a testament to the artist’s journey, their skills, and the profound spiritual experiences that influenced their creations.

Wall arrangement at the Bode Museum

In my opinion, the Bode Museum provides an unparalleled setting to reengage with medieval religious art. By isolating these pieces from their traditional religious contexts, the museum allows for a clearer, unclouded appreciation of each artifact. It invites visitors to not just see, but to feel, to contemplate, and to connect with the art and the artists on a deeply personal level.

Here are some impressions that I collected during my latest visit, accompanied by the descriptions provided by the museum:

Westphalia and Lübeck (?), base around 1220 and top around 1425. The high altar reredos of the cathedral of Minden: Coronation of Mary and Apostles, oak, remains of original setting and painting pedestal from the 13th century in the form of a reliquary.

Cologne, c. 1170. angel from a Holy Sepulchre, poplar wood, original version. From a representation of the women at the tomb of the risen Christ.

Lake Constance area, around 1310. John the Apostle resting on the bosom of Christ, oak wood, old version. Supposedly from the Augustinian chorister monastery of Inzigkofen.

The Carrying of the Cross from Lorch in the Rhine Valley.

Birth of Christ, carved wood.

Westphalia, c. 1340/50, Altarpiece from the high altar of the church St. Maria zur Wiese in Soest, oak wood.

Erasmus Grasser, verifiable in Munich 1474 - 1518. Christ as the Man of Sorrows (Double Sided Sculpture), c. 1480/90, limewood. Processional image or hanging in the corona within the church interior.

Erasmus Grasser, verifiable in Munich 1474 - 1518. Calvary with the Crucifixion of Christ, c. 1490, Swiss pine, original version. From the Fugger House in the mining town of Schwaz in Tyrol.

Tilman Riemenschneider, Heiligenstadt workshop, c. 1460-1531 Würzburg. Godfather with the Suffering Christ of the Passion (Throne of Mercy), c. 1510, limewood, old version. The dove of the Holy Spirit is missing today.

Tilman Riemenschneider, Heiligenstadt, c. 1460 - 153 Würzbur. St. Anne and her three husbands, c. 1505/10, limewood.

South Germany, c. 1520, processional pole, wood, original setting.

Michel Erhart, verifiable in Ulm 1469 - 1522. Mother of God with Child, around 1480, limewood with new setting.

Tyrol, around 1490. St. Vitus in the cauldron, lime wood, old version. According to legend, the saint was boiled in a cauldron with red-hot lead.

Munich, c. 1490. St. Christopher, limewood, painted.

Carinthia (Villach), around 1520. Winged reredos with saints and the Holy Family Winged, figures made of lime wood, original version. From Rabensdorf near Feldkirchen (Carinthia). The painting by the master of the Flitschler altar.

Franconia, around 1520/30. Christ as a donkey rider, carried along in processions on Palm Sunday, limewood, remains of old version. Perhaps from Württemberg Franconia.

Upper Bavaria (Munich?), 1519, winged reredos with the Adoration of the Magi in the shrine. Group of figures made of lime wood, old version. Supposedly from a church in Munich.

Memento Mori, two-sided ivory sculpture.

Lower Saxony, ca. 1160/70. gallery parapet from the Benedictine monastery of Gröningen near Halberstadt, stucco, small remains of the painting. Christ as judge of the world surrounded by apostles.

Lower Saxony, around 1160/70. Capitals from the Benedictine monastery of Huysburg near Halberstadt, sandstone. The figural capitals with representations of saints and virtues.

Presbyter Martinus. Madonna as ‘Sedes Sapientiae’, Central Italy, 1199, poplar wood, original version. Inscription: ‘In the year of the Lord, 1199, in the month of January. On the bosom of the Mother shines the Wisdom of the Father. This wonderful work was created in the time of the abbot Mr. Peter, thanks to the work in devoted serving love of the presbyter Martinus’.

Padua, mid-13th c. Monthly images, Veronese marble. The double capital depicts the activities during the first six months of the year.

Shrine Madonna. Upper Rhine, end of the 13th century, softwood, painted.

Southern Italy, end of 11th c. Crucifixion of Christ, ivory, from the circle of ivory reliefs from Salerno. Right: Arrest of Christ, southern Italy, end of 11th century, ivory, from the circle of ivory reliefs from Salerno.

Enthroned Virgin and Child.

Southern Italy (Amalfi), queen (chess piece), ca. 1100, ivory.

Southern Italy (Amalfi). Crucifixion, below the Ecclesia is received and the synagogue is rejected, ca. 1075-1100, ivory.

Christ on the cross.

Trier (?), mid-11th c. Descent from the Cross, pear wood. Central part of a triptych, originally with wings.

Master of the Scheiflinger Pietà, active in Styria around 1420/40. St. Augustine from the Seckau Cathedral, around 1420, lime and spruce wood with largely, original version.

Left: HI. Pope Sylvester (left), Right: Mother of God (right). Tyrol (Brixen?), around 1480, Swiss pine, partly original version.

Michael Pacher, active in Bruneck and Salzburg, c. 1445-1498, Mourning Mary from a Crucifixion of Christ, c. 1480, coniferous wood, original version.

Upper Swabia (Ulm?), c. 1460/70, King David, limewood, old version.

Perugia, c. 1320. Christ Child, walnut, original version. Devotional image placed in a manger at Christmas time.

Pacio Bertini gen. Pacio da Firenze verifiable 1st half 14th c. Apostle James the Younger (?), Naples, c. 1340 (?), marble. The left hand originally held a book, the right probably the whaler pole.

Naples, 2nd quarter 14th century. Two mourners, marble. Coming from a tomb.

Perugia, 1320/30. Madonna, walnut wood. The original version is heavily rubbed in the area of the robe.

Antonio Bonvicino, traceable in Venice since 1401/5. Crucifix, Venice, 1425 (?), basswood, fir (cross) original version. Comes from Santa Maria dei Frari in Venice.

Giovanni Pisano, Pisa, c. 1245/48 - after 1314 Siena. Crucifixus (fragment), Tuscany, around 1305, boxwood. Originally painted in color.

Giovanni Pisano, workshop, Pisa, c. 1245/48 - after 1314 Siena. Angel, marble, from a funerary monument.

Relief with the Ascension of Christ, fragment, fragment Eastern Roman Empire, 11th century, ivory, Acquired in Venice in 1891. Right: Relief with the Ascension of Christ, Eastern Roman Empire, 2nd half of the 11th century, ivory.

Icon with the washing of the feet, Constantinople, 10th century, ivory.

Middle part of a triptych with the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, Constantinople, 10th century, ivory.

Relief panel with enthroned Christ, Constantinople, 11th century, ivory.

Pyxis with Christ between the apostles and Abraham’s sacrifice, place of manufacture unknown, around 400, ivory.

Relief panel with the 40 martyrs of Sebaste, Constantinople, 10th century, ivory.

Ivory panels with scenes from the life of Christ.

Cassette made of ivory with biblical motifs.

Two panels with crucifixion scene.

Relief with the Empty Throne of Christ (‘Throne Relief’), Constantinople, c. 400, marble. The motif represents the timeless reign of Christ.

Relief with liberation of a besieged city, Western Roman Empire, early 5th century, wood.

Apsis mosaic from San Michele in Africisco in Ravenna, Ravenna, 545/546 and 19th century, colored tesserae, mortar. The center of the apse is Christ, flanked by the archangels Michael and Gabriel, in the midst of a paradisiacal meadow landscape. The Last Judgment is depicted above the apse: Christ is enthroned between archangels and seven trumpeting angels to judge mankind, as John describes in the Apocalypse.

Pasquier Borman, circle active in Brussels, 1510-1536. Retable with representations from the life of St. Francis of Assisi, around 1515/20, oak wood.

Brussels, c. 1480. winged reredos: depictions from the life of Mary and the childhood of Jesus, oak wood, original version.

Brussels, c. 1490, St. Ursula. Ursula with the protective mantle (St. Ursula Protecting her Compennions), oak wood, original setting. Right: Brussels, c. 1490, Our Lady Enthroned, oak wood, original setting.

Antwerp, early 16th century, retable with depictions from the Passion of Christ, oak wood, remains of setting.

England, mid-15th century, winged reredos with scenes from the Passion of Christ, alabaster reliefs in wooden shrine, original partial version. Supposedly from the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy.

France, c. 1450, head of a clergyman, fired clay, old version.

Swabia, around 1498, small house altar with St. Anne. Anna selbdritt, lime wood, original version.

Hans Leinberger, verifiable in Landshut 1510-1530, Christ in Distress, c. 1525, limewood, old version. From Ergoldsbach near Landshut.

Monogramist IP, active in Passau and Prague in the 1st third of the 16th century, Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, Prague (2), c. 1525, pear wood.

Anonymous, Resurrection of Christ, South Germany, 1st quarter of the 17th century. Ivory, triple frame, bronze fire-gilded.

Left: Furienmeister, active in the 17th century, dragon fighting group, c. 1620, ivory, bone, wood. Right: Furienmeister, active in the 17th century, Mars, Venus and Cupid (?), around 1620, ivory, bone, wood.

Statue in front of the Bode Museum.