Grunewald, Matthias, << GROO nuh `vahlt, mah TEE ahs` >> (1470’s-1528), was a German painter of dramatic religious scenes. Grunewald’s name and work were nearly forgotten after his death until art historians rediscovered him in the late 1890’s. German expressionist artists of the early 1900’s were attracted to his powerful and sometimes shocking use of form and color to create emotional impact.
Grunewald primarily painted altarpieces. All of his work reveals a highly individual style and deep religious feeling. He created his greatest altarpiece for the hospital chapel at a monastery in Isenheim, in what is now northeastern France, from 1512 to 1515. The work contains scenes from the lives of Jesus Christ and Saint Anthony.
Grunewald used fiery reds and yellows and radiant blues to communicate a sense of triumph in his Resurrection. In the Crucifixion, one of several works he painted on this theme, Grunewald painted brightly lit figures with tragic expressions and set them against a dark, empty background to produce a feeling of intense suffering.
Grunewald was born in Wurzburg, Germany. From about 1508 to 1525, he served as court painter for two archbishops of Mainz. Grunewald’s given and family name was Mathis Gothart-Nithart, but an art historian mistakenly gave him the name Grunewald during the late 1600’s.
