Highlights

Crèche of the liturgical year

Artist
Probst (Familie)
Locality
Sterzing, South Tyrol
Date
1785–1805
Material
Swiss stone pine, polychromed
Dimensions
H. 4–6 cm (figures)
Location
Gallery 138
Inventory Number
Krippenposition 70-73
Acquisition
Acquired from private ownership in 1974

Description

The only complete crèche characterising the liturgical year in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum's collection comes from the workshop of Augustin Alois and Josef Benedikt Probst. Their speciality was small-format, scenically closed ensembles depicting individual biblical narratives in a sometimes dramatic manner. For example, four little devils dance around the gallows of Judas, one of them carrying the bag with the silver pieces. The roughly worked figures achieve their particular charm through their vividly coloured polychromy. The Probsts mainly produced these rather original, small-format biblical scenes for prestigious clients, among them also high church dignitaries like bishops.

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