Liebieghaus
Encyclopedia
The Liebieghaus is a late 19th-century villa in Frankfurt
, Germany
. It contains a sculpture museum, the Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus, which is part of the Museumsufer
on the Sachsenhausen
bank of the River Main.
style, as a retirement home for the Bohemia
n textile manufacturer Baron Heinrich von Liebieg (1839–1904). The city of Frankfurt acquired the building in 1908 and devoted it to the sculpture collection.
A renovation was completed in October 2009. This included adding a publicly-accessible "Open Depot", making it possible for the first time to view certain parts of the collection that are not in the permanent exhibition.
, Roman
and Egyptian sculpture, as well as Medieval, Baroque, Renaissance and Classicist
pieces, and works from the Far East. The collection was built up mostly through endowments and international purchases, and is universal in scope, with no particular link to the art or history of Frankfurt.
The building stands on the Schaumainkai
, in a garden in which a number of sculptures are also on display
, including a replica of Dannecker
's Ariadne on the Panther. The original, which was acquired by the banker Simon Moritz von Bethmann
in 1810, is currently in the depot.
Other major exhibits include:
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It contains a sculpture museum, the Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus, which is part of the Museumsufer
Museumsufer
The embankment to the south of the Main River in Frankfurt, Germany, is called Museumsufer or Museum Embankment because of the large concentration of museums there...
on the Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen (Frankfurt am Main)
Sachsenhausen is a part of the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Composed of two districts: Sachsenhausen-Nord and Sachsenhausen-Süd, it is part of the Ortsbezirk Süd. It is located on the South bank of the Main river, right in the city center, opposite the Old Town.Sachsenhausen was founded as...
bank of the River Main.
History
The Liebieghaus was built in 1896, in a palatial, HistoricistHistoricism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
style, as a retirement home for the Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n textile manufacturer Baron Heinrich von Liebieg (1839–1904). The city of Frankfurt acquired the building in 1908 and devoted it to the sculpture collection.
A renovation was completed in October 2009. This included adding a publicly-accessible "Open Depot", making it possible for the first time to view certain parts of the collection that are not in the permanent exhibition.
Collection
The museum includes ancient GreekAncient Greek sculpture
Ancient Greek sculpture is the sculpture of Ancient Greece. Modern scholarship identifies three major stages. They were used to depict the battles, mythology, and rulers of the land known as Ancient Greece.-Geometric:...
, Roman
Roman sculpture
The study of ancient Roman sculpture is complicated by its relation to Greek sculpture. Many examples of even the most famous Greek sculptures, such as the Apollo Belvedere and Barberini Faun, are known only from Roman Imperial or Hellenistic "copies." At one time, this imitation was taken by art...
and Egyptian sculpture, as well as Medieval, Baroque, Renaissance and Classicist
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
pieces, and works from the Far East. The collection was built up mostly through endowments and international purchases, and is universal in scope, with no particular link to the art or history of Frankfurt.
The building stands on the Schaumainkai
Schaumainkai
Schaumainkai is a street in central Frankfurt, Germany, running along the south side of the River Main. It includes a number of museums including the Städel, a leading art gallery...
, in a garden in which a number of sculptures are also on display
Sculpture garden
A sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings....
, including a replica of Dannecker
Johann Heinrich von Dannecker
Johann Heinrich von Dannecker was a German sculptor.He was the third of five children of Georg Dannecker , a coachman of Karl Eugen. In 1764, the family moved to Ludwigsburg. From 1772 to 1780, he was educated as a sculptor, together with Philipp Jacob Scheffauer...
's Ariadne on the Panther. The original, which was acquired by the banker Simon Moritz von Bethmann
Bethmann family
The Bethmann family has been remarkable for the high proportion of its males who succeeded at mercantile or financial endeavors. This family trait began in medieval northern Germany and continued with the Bethmann bank which Johann Philipp Bethmann and Simon Moritz Bethmann founded in 1748 and...
in 1810, is currently in the depot.
Other major exhibits include:
- A marble discobolusDiscobolusThe Discobolus of Myron is a famous Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the Severe period, circa 460-450 BC. The original Greek bronze is lost...
- A marble statue of AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, a Roman copy of a Greek original by MyronMyronMyron of Eleutherae working circa 480-440 BC, was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. He was born in Eleutherae on the borders of Boeotia and Attica. According to Pliny's Natural History, Ageladas of Argos was his teacher.... - Carolingian reliefReliefRelief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
s carved from ivoryIvory carvingIvory carving is the carving of ivory, that is to say animal tooth or tusk, by using sharp cutting tools, either mechanically or manually. The ancient craft has now virtually ceased, as since CITES it is illegal under most circumstances throughout the world....
(mid-9th century) - An OttonianOttonian artIn pre-romanesque Germany, the prevailing style was what has come to be known as Ottonian art. With Ottonian architecture, it is a key component of the Ottonian Renaissance named for the emperors Otto I, Otto II, and Otto III...
crucifix (mid-11th century) - A Romanesque king's head from a statue from the Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France (province)The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
- Fragments from a FlorentineFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
tomb by Tino di CamainoTino di Camainothumb|300px|Tomb of Antonio d'Orso, in [[Santa Maria del Fiore]], [[Florence]].Tino di Camaino was an Italian sculptor....
(probably after 1318) - An alabaster sculpture of the Trinity by Hans Multscher (c.1430)
- A Woman of the ApocalypseWoman of the ApocalypseThe phrase Woman of the Apocalypse refers to a character from the Book of Revelation 12:1-18:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And being with child, she cried travailing in birth: and was in...
by Tilman RiemenschneiderTilman RiemenschneiderTilman Riemenschneider was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master in stone and limewood.- Biography :Tilman Riemenschneider was born between 1459... - The Rimini Altar, an alabaster calvaryCalvary (sculpture)A calvary is a type of monumental public crucifix, sometimes encased in an open shrine, most commonly found across northern France from Brittany east and through Belgium and equally familiar as wayside structures provided with minimal sheltering roofs in Italy and Spain...
from northern France (c.1430) - A late-Gothic/early-Renaissance bust of Bärbel von Ottenheim, the mistress of Jakob von Lichtenberg (the VogtVogtA Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
of StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
), by Nikolaus GerhaertNikolaus GerhaertNikolaus Gerhaert , also known as Nikolaus Gerhaert von Leyden, was a sculptor of Dutch origin, although aside from his sculptures, few details are known of his life.- Biography :...
(1463-64).
Further reading
- Wolf-Christian Setzepfandt: Architekturführer Frankfurt am Main. Third edition. Dietrich Reimer, Berlin, 2002. ISBN 3-496-01236-6.
- Vinzenz Brinkmann, Maraike Bückling, Stefan Roller: Meisterwerke im Liebieghaus. Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung. Petersberg, Imhof, 2008. ISBN 978-3-86568-364-9.
External links
- Home page in English
- Die neue Antike: una visita alle sale di scultura classica della Liebieghaus di Francoforte Anna Anguissola, LARTTE, 30 October 2009.