Stavanger renaissance
Stavanger Renaissance (Stavangerrenessansen) is the name for the cultural period which peaked in the middle of the 17th century in the vicinity of Stavanger, Norway. It was characterized principally by church art, largely decorated altarpieces, pulpits, baptismal fonts and wall surfaces.
The Protestant Reformation from 1537 had not yet changed the art in the local churches. Much of the old Catholic art was still present in the churches. Church authorities wanted to change this, so they ordered new art and reconstruction of old churches. At the start of the 17th century, the time was right. The city of Stavanger became more and more popular for immigrants who worked as artists.
The first of the artists in the Stavanger Renaissance was the German painter Peter Reimers, whose art work first appeared in Kinsarvik during 1607. Reimers settled in Stavanger 1612-1628. He left more than 40 large and small church work. Other important artists from this period were Gottfried Hendtzschel, Andrew Lawrenceson Smith, Thomas Snekker and Lauritz Snekker. The Stavanger Renaissance is an important period for Norwegian church art. Art work from this period are found around the southwestern coast and throughout western Norway. Examples of churches representing by the art of the Stavanger Renaissance would include parish churches in Oddernes (1620), Årdal (ca.1620), Røldal (1627-1629), Randfontein (1630) Moland (1630) as well as Utstein Abbey (1625-1650).
References
Other sources
- Froysaker, Tine (2003) Church Paintings of Gottfried Hendtzschel in Norway - Part I & II (Goteborg University) ISBN 91-7346-455-4
- Gundhus, Grethe (2005) I Guds og Bevaringens navn Fortellingen om tre altertavler og et øksemord (Kulturminner – en ressurs i tiden)
- Kloster, Robert (1936) Stavangerrenessansen i Rogalands kirker (Stavanger Museum)
- Cristie, Sigrid (1982) Materi og skulptur 1536-1814 (Norges kunsthistorie, Volume 3) ISBN 82-05-12267-9
- Grevenor, Henrik (1928) Norsk malerkunst :under renessanse og barokk 1550-1700