Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Ca1·Yiпg iп "\Vood and IYory

267

the Germanic Museum, which exhiЬit5 medallions in relicf, representing the Communion of Saints, with а wreath of roses encircling it. Around the bшder of thi5 oЫong composition there are small square reliefs, and а Last Judgment which is full of grim humour occupies tl1e lowc1· part of the space. Among the amusing inci­ clrnts rcpresented, is that of а redeemed soul, quite naked, climЬing up а Yine to reach heaven, in which God thc Father is in the act of " receiving" Adam and Evc, shaking hands most sociaЬly ! The friends of this aspiring climbeг are " boosting" him from below; the most clcliciously гealistic proof that Stoss had по use for the theory of а winged hercafter ! Vcit Stoss was а very versatile craft,sman. Besides his wonderful wood carvings, for ,vhich he is chiefly notcd, he was а bridge-builder, а stone-mason, а bronze caster, painter of altars, and engгaver on copper ! Like all such variously talented pcrsons, he suffered some­ what from restlessness and prefeпed work to реасе, - but his compensatioв lay iп the varied joys of creative wol'kR. His naturalism was maгked in all that he did: а шйvе old chronicler remarks that he made some life­ sized coloured figшes of Adam and Eve, " so fashioncd that one was afra·id that they wеге a1ive !" Veit Stoss was an interesting individual. Не was not especially moral in all his ways, narrowly escaping being executecl for forgery; Ьнt his b1·iiliancy as а technician ,vas unsur­ passed. Не Iived until 1533, when he dicd in Niirem­ bei-g as а very old man. One of his most delightful