Workshop of Bernt Notke (c 1440 - 1509)

Bernt Notke (c 1440 - 1509) was, even in his lifetime, one of the best known artists in northern Europe. He was born in Lassan in Pomerania, and it has been assumed that his journeyman years were spent in the Low Countries. His large workshop was located in Lübeck, and the first written reference to him from there dates back to 1467. During the last decade of the 15th century, Notke worked both in Stockholm and Lübeck, being the state mint master of Sweden in 1491 - 1496.

A large number of wooden sculptures, paintings and altarpieces have been attributed to Notke's workshop. The works are characterised by monumentality, bold and novel use of different materials and exceptionally high quality. Notkes works can be found in numerous northern European centers. The origin of the following pieces from Notke's workshop has been verified by documents: the triumphal group of the Lübeck Cathedral (1477), the retable of the high altar of the Århus Cathedral (1479), and the retable of the high altar of the Holy Spirit Church in Tallinn (1483).