Tilman Riemenschneider
German Würzburg
German, (ca. 1460–1531)
Tilman Riemenschneider was born ca. 1460 in Heiligenstadt. It is not known where or with whom he trained, but in 1483 he took his journeyman's oath in Würzburg, where he was to spend most of his life as a sculptor and citizen. In addition to his masterful carving style, Riemenschneider is noted for introducing unpolychromed wood sculpture for major altarpiece commissions. Riemenschneider also held several offices on the Würzburg city council, and between 1520-1521, he served as mayor. In 1525, he was implicated in the Franconian peasants' revolt for refusing to support the prince-bishop against the peasants. His large workshop included two of his sons, Jörg and Hans. He died in Würzburg in 1531.