{{Short description|German sculptor and painter}} {{distinguish|Claus Nissen Riiber Berg}} thumb|Claus Berg: Altarpiece in Odense Cathedral (detail) '''Claus Berg''' (ca. 1470 – ca. 1532) was a German sculptor and painter who is remembered for his workshop in Odense and his decorative work in Danish churches, especially altarpieces and crucifixes. His finest work, the altarpiece which now stands in Odense Cathedral, was designed at the request of Queen Christine for the Franciscan abbey church of Gråbrødre (''Gråbrødre Klosterkirke'') which she had chosen as the burial site for her husband King Hans and herself. <ref>{{cite web|url= https://ogkl.dk/#kloster |title= Gråbrødre Klosterkirke|publisher= Odense Gråbrødre Kloster|accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref>
==Biography==
Born in Lübeck in the north of Germany, Berg possibly first worked as a sculptor in Veit Stoss's workshop in Nuremberg.<ref name=domkirke>[http://www.odense-domkirke.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32&Itemid=40 "Claus Bergs altertavle"], ''Odense Domkirke''. {{in lang|da}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref> He was invited to Denmark by Queen Christine, arriving in about 1504 to head the workshop in Odense, one of the most important in Europe at the time, where he coordinated the work of his 12 assistants until 1532. The queen took great care of him, giving him Apostelgården, a nearby farm, as a home and, by some accounts, providing him with the company of one of her maids as a wife.<ref name=hornemann>[http://www.kristendom.dk/artikel/266694:Kultur-og-religion--Pragtstykket-i-dansk-kirkekunst?all=1 Johanne Duus Hornemann, "Pragtstykket i dansk kirkekunst"], ''Kristendom.dk'', 15 November 2006. {{in lang|da}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref> In 1507, he is mentioned as a citizen of Odense and in 1508 and 1510 as a painter in the queen's accounts. The decorated choir in Odense's Gråbrødre Church, especially the altarpiece which can now be seen in Odense Cathedral, is the only work which can be directly attributed to Berg. It appears to have been undertaken at the request of the queen who wished to prepare the Gråbrødre Church, which has since been demolished, as the burial site for her husband and herself. Other works have been ascribed to him on the basis of their style, for example the altarpiece in Sanderum.<ref name=kullturarv>[https://www.kulturarv.dk/kid/VisKunstner.do?kunstnerId=1262 Ulla Haastrup, "Claus Berg"], ''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon''. {{in lang|da}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref>
Berg's son, Frants Berg (1504–1591), whose godmother was Queen Christine, became a priest at St. Nikolaj Church in Copenhagen and later Bishop of Oslo.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://snl.no/Frants_Berg|title= Frants Berg|publisher= Store norske leksikon|author= Hallgeir Elstad|accessdate= July 15, 2016}}</ref>
==Works== thumb|Claus Berg: Altarpiece in Odense Cathedral The altarpiece from Gråbrødre Church, now in Odense Cathedral, was probably completed after the death of Queen Catherine in 1521. Standing 3.75 metres high, the carved oak triptych depicts the traditional, if unusually interconnected, themes of the crucifixion, the passion and the crowning of Mary.<ref>[https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0001/bsb00016318/images/index.html?seite=95 Hans Arnold Gräbke, "Berg, Claus"], ''Allgemeine deutsche Biographie & Neue deutsche Biographie'' (Digitale Register), Behaim - Bürkel, Bd.: 2, Berlin, 1955, p.75. {{in lang|de}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref> The central section shows the crucified Jesus on the tree of life surrounded by apostles, Biblical and historical figures, with Francis of Assisi at his feet. Above, Mary is crowned queen of heaven surrounded by sparkling angels. Below, Saint Anne is shown with the infant Jesus and his mother Mary. The side wings present the Passion, from the Last Supper to the Ascension with the apostles at Pentecost at the bottom right. The base shows members of the royal family including King Christian II, King Hans and his wife Queen Christine, now dressed as a widow.<ref name=domkirke/> The style indicates connections with southern German art, characterized by the realistic, plastic look of the figures, probably inspired by Albrecht Dürer from Nuremberg.<ref name=DSD>[http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Kunst_og_kultur/Billedkunst/Billedhuggerkunst,_%C3%B8vrig_ren%C3%A6ssance/Billedhuggere_-_ren%C3%A6ssance_-_Tyskland/Claus_Berg?highlight=claus%20berg "Claus Berg"], ''Den Store Danske''. {{in lang|da}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref> Restoration work in 1973-86 showed how the altarpiece consisted of a basic carved skeleton which was then gilded and painted. Some 90 per cent of the original work was preserved under several layers of subsequent coating.<ref name=kullturarv/>
Other works ascribed to Berg include the altarpieces in Bregninge Church on Ærø, in Sanderum Church near Odense and in the Church of Our Lady in Aarhus and crucifixes in Asperup Church and Vindinge Church on Funen and in Sorø Church (1527). Berg's workshop also produced limestone reliefs as well as tombstones for King Hans in Odense Cathedral (originally in Gråbrødre Church) and for Bishop Ivan Munk in Ribe Cathedral.<ref name=DSD/>
In Germany, works ascribed to Berg include the Madonna (1500) in Lübeck's St. Annen Museum<ref>[https://www.hl-live.de/aktuell/text.php?id=74082 "St. Annen: Jungfrau, Mutter, Herrscherin"], ''HL-live.de''. {{in lang|de}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref> and the apostle figures in Güstrow Cathedral (ca. 1530).<ref>[http://www.dom-güstrow.de/apostel.html "Apostelfiguren von Claus Berg"]{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''Dom Güstrow''. {{in lang|de}} Retrieved 31 January 2012.</ref>
== Gallery with the famous Apostle figures of the Güstrow Cathedral== <gallery widths="150" heights="250" perrow="6"> 20230513 Andreas mit dem Schrägkreuz.jpg|Andreas with the cross 20230513 Bartholomäus mit dem Messer.jpg|Bartholomäus with the knife 20230513 Jakobus der Ältere mit dem Pilgerhut.jpg|Jakobus the older one with the pilgrim's hat 20230513 Jakobus der Jüngere mit der Walkstange.jpg|Jakobus the younger one with the walker 20230513 Johannes mit dem Giftkelch.jpg|Johannes with the poison chalice 20230513 Judas Thaddäus mit der Hellebarde.jpg|Judas Thaddäus with the halberd 20230513 Matthäus mit dem Messstab.jpg|Matthäus with the dipstick 20230513 Matthias mit dem Beil.jpg|Matthias with the hatchet 20230513 Petrus mit den Schlüsseln.jpg|Petrus with the keys 20230513 Philippus mit dem Kreuzstab.jpg|Philippus with the crossbar 20230513 Simon mit der Säge.jpg|Simon with the saw 20230513 Thomas mit der Lanze.jpg|Thomas with the lance </gallery>
==See also== *Danish sculpture *Lindy West {{Commons category|Claus Berg}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}} {{Authority control (arts)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Berg, Claus}} Category:15th-century Danish sculptors Category:16th-century Danish sculptors Category:15th-century German sculptors Category:16th-century German sculptors Category:German male sculptors Category:1470 births Category:1532 deaths Category:Artists from Lübeck Category:Painters from Schleswig-Holstein Category:German emigrants to Denmark