The Cranach-Triegel altarpiece, a work that has been at the center of a heated controversy in Germany this summer, will finally arrive in Rome: the altarpiece, the result of the assemblage of two separate works, namely the side panels painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder (Kronach, 1472 - Weimar, 1553) between 1517 and 1519, and the central compartment executed by contemporary painter Michael Triegel (Erfurt, 1968) in 2022, is preserved in Naumburg Cathedral, but around its placement has been debated for three years, that is, since Triegel completed his compartment that replaced the one that had been destroyed in 1541 during the years of the Protestant Reformation. The controversy had then died down as the work left for a multi-year tour, but when it returned the discussions were rekindled: the point, in fact, is that the painting’s placement is controversial, since where it is placed, in the western chancel, obscures some of the figures of the donors of the Naumburg Cathedral, a masterpiece of 13th-century German sculpture that helped earn the building UNESCO World Heritage status.
Now, the scholarly community would like to see the altarpiece moved to the northern transept-the risk, experts say, could be the exclusion of Naumburg Cathedral from the Unesco list. On the other hand, the community of the faithful, represented by the parish of evangelical Christian faith, wants to keep the work in the western choir, because that is how the reasons of faith and history want it, since the altarpiece in ancient times was located there. In a previous article we had recounted the whole affair in detail.
And a few days ago came the twist: for some time, the Cranach-Triegel altarpiece will be on display in Rome, in the chapel of the Teutonic Cemetery, near St. Peter’s, starting November 2. Announcing the painting’s move to Rome to the German press (the case, it will be recalled, has become nationwide in Germany) is a spokeswoman for the Vereinigte Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg (the United Foundations of the Cathedrals of Merseburg and Naumburg, which manage the monument), according to whom there are no plans to replace the altarpiece in Naumburg Cathedral during the loan to Rome. The work is expected to remain in Rome for a full two years, which will also serve to find a solution that gets everyone to agree. In short, the strategy is always the same: remove the work to calm the waters. With the hope that this will be the time to find a solution.
|
|
| The work that has ignited a heavy controversy in Germany will be exhibited in Rome |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
