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Art for citizenry and church around 1400

Around 1400, after centuries under the rule of archbishops and city nobility, Cologne, a flourishing metropolis of trade in the Middle Ages, transformed itself into a free town governed by its citizens. The town dwellers began to join the church in its patronage of the richly nuanced art of the times, taking on an ever more important role. Symbolic of this development was the newly constructed Gothic town hall tower; it was a further visible sign of the self-confidence of the merchants and craftsmen. Figures typical of the so-called International Gothic Style combine a fiercely realistic rendering with glorification through the voluminous folds of their robes.

The Virgin Mary in the Sun, Cologne, c. 1370-1390, walnut, polychrome, h. 37 cm, inv. no. A 895, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

The Virgin Mary in the Sun
Cologne, c. 1370-1390

Console Bust with the Parler Coat of Arms, Cologne workshop of the Parlers, c. 1390, limestone, polychrome, h. 44.5 cm, inv. no. K 127, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

Console Bust with the Parler Coat of Arms
Cologne workshop of the Parlers, c. 1390

Wild Man, Cologne(?), circle of the Parler family, late 14th cent., oak, inv. no. A 47, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

Wild Man
Cologne(?), circle of the Parler family, late 14th cent.

Textile Fragment with the Gyr Family Coat of Arms, Cologne, 14th cent., wool, linen, 33 x 56 cm, inv. no. N 1083, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

Textile Fragment with the Gyr Family Coat of Arms
Cologne, 14th cent.

Prophet from Cologne Town Hall, Cologne, c. 1430-1440, oak, polychrome, h. 114 cm, on permanent loan from Cologne's Department of Buildings, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

Prophet from Cologne Town Hall
Cologne, c. 1430-1440

Leaf from a Canon with the Crucifixion of Christ, Cologne, c. 1430, parchment, gouache, 26.3 x 18.5 cm, Inv. No. M 700, © Rheinisches Bildarchiv

Leaf from a Canon with the Crucifixion of Christ
Cologne, c. 1430

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