{"id":2342,"title":{"rendered":"Crucifix of the Koeru Church"},"slug":"koeru-kiriku-krutsifiks","excerpt":{"rendered":"The large crucifix of the Koeru church has been attributed to Christian Ackermann on account of its lovely proportions and fineness of its cutting lines. The polychromy of the crucifix is most likely secondary and its original colours are concealed beneath it. In addition to brilliant carving, the crucifix is coated with very high-quality original paint that has been excellently preserved beneath later coats."},"content":{"rendered":"

On what basis is the crucifix in the Koeru church attributed to Ackermann?<\/b><\/h2>\nThe Koeru church crucifix has been attributed to Christian Ackermann on the basis of style analysis. The figure of Christ is very masterfully carved in its overall form, as well as in its level of detail.\n\n<\/div><\/div>
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    Christ on the Cross in the Koeru Church<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

    The Koeru crucifix is one of Ackermann\u2019s best works, and was most likely completed in the beginning of the 1700s. The statue of Christ is exceedingly masterfully carved, both at the level of its overall form as well as in its details.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div><\/div>

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    What can the Koeru crucifix be compared to?<\/b><\/h2>\nThe Koeru crucifix can be compared to two figures of the crucified Christ: 1) the statue of the Crucified One in the Calvary Group on the original central panel of the Hageri Church retable, which Ackermann probably made in the first half of the 1680s, and 2) the crucifix at the Art Museum of Estonia that has so far been attributed to Ackermann with a question mark. The original location of this crucifix is unknown. Judging by the sharpness of its carved contours, the crucifix dates back to the master\u2019s later creative period, in other words the beginning of the 18th<\/sup> century.\n\nOf the nearly life-size statues of the crucified Christ, the Koeru crucifix should be compared first and foremost to the figure belonging to the Kullamaa church Calvary group, which according to ecclesiastical sources is Ackermann\u2019s work from 1682. It should also be compared to the Christ in the chancel arch group from 1697 in Tallinn\u2019s Cathedral, which had hitherto been attributed to Ackermann\u2019s assistant Hinrich Martens.\n\n<\/div><\/div>
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      What can the crucifix be compared to?<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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      The Christ at Koeru Church most resembles the crucifix at the Art Museum of Estonia. The body of both crucified figures is depicted similarly, as are their feet and the folds of their loincloths.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div><\/div>

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      What is the most surprising aspect of the Koeru crucifix?<\/b><\/h2>\nThe most surprising aspect is the naturalism of the Koeru church crucifix: the appearance of Christ as he died on the cross. Modelling polychromy has been discovered underneath the present paint layerin the course of the conducted analyses: Christ\u2019s face is painted like a portrait on canvas. There is a greenish base tone that gleams through beneath the flesh tone to achieve an effect that approximates the natural colour of a dead body.\n\nIn the conviction that its original colours are in good condition, it was decided in 2020 to remove the secondary finishing coats and to exhibit the sculpture in its original colours. A monochromatic white opaque paint concealed its pale flesh, which was painted in a modelling manner, its silver loincloth, its brown hair, and its green crown of thorns adorned using lustre technique. Figurative paintings of high quality depicting the four evangelists surprisingly emerged from the tondos at the ends of the cross, which had originally been painted black. Such paintings are very rare in Lutheran church art in terms of both the quality of their execution and their iconography.\n\nAdditionally, comparison of the artist\u2019s style affirmed that the painting The Last Supper<\/em> on canvas, which belongs to the collection of Tallinn\u2019s City Museum, and the paintings at the ends of the cross of the Koeru crucifix are the work of the same artist. It has not been possible to connect practically any single baroque painting in Estonia to the name of a specific master. Finding two works by one (anonymous) artist and associating them with one another is even less likely. Connecting two works by a single author is already an important find that expands our vision of baroque art.\n\n<\/div><\/div>
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        Polychromy of the crucifix<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

        Modelling polychromy has been discovered and uncovered underneath the present paint layer in the course of the conducted analyses and conservation: Christ\u2019s face is painted like a portrait on canvas.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>

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        Four evangelists<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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        "},"map_id":"17","link":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/en\/work\/koeru-kiriku-krutsifiks\/","works_date_label":"~1700","works_date":"1700","featured_image":{"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/www-works-KOERU-intro-1042x892-1.jpg"},"timeline_image":{"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/www-works-KOERU-ajatelg-450x400-1.jpg"},"menu_order":null,"objects":[{"ID":2878,"id":2878,"title":{"rendered":"Kristus ristil ENG (Koeru)"},"post_name":"kristus-ristil-koeru","excerpt":{"rendered":""},"post_content":{"rendered":""},"object_name":"Christ on the Cross","menu_order":null,"photo":[{"ID":2956,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kristus5.jpg"},{"ID":7349,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruTaisfiguur.jpg"},{"ID":2900,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kristus2.jpg"},{"ID":2902,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kristus3.jpg"},{"ID":2958,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kristus6.jpg"},{"ID":7342,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruNagu.jpg"},{"ID":7344,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruPoolfiguur.jpg"},{"ID":2904,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kristus4.jpg"},{"ID":7346,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruSaarejooks.jpg"},{"ID":7382,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruJalalabad.jpg"}],"xr":[{"ID":2775,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/XR_pea_MV.jpg"},{"ID":2777,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/XR_pea_varv.jpg"},{"ID":3524,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruJumal.jpg"}],"mobiili_valiku_vaade":[{"ID":3401,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fotod-detailid-Koeru-kirik-kristus-1080x900.png"}],"sketchfab_id":"12fd640d92554d16858a85e554f3a3cf","colrecmodel":""},{"ID":7337,"id":7337,"title":{"rendered":"Evangelists (Koeru)"},"post_name":"evangelists-koeru","excerpt":{"rendered":""},"post_content":{"rendered":""},"object_name":"Evangelists","menu_order":null,"photo":[{"ID":7329,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruLuukas.jpg"},{"ID":7331,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruMarkus.jpg"},{"ID":7333,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruJohannes.jpg"},{"ID":7335,"guid":"https:\/\/ackermann.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/KoeruMatteus.jpg"}],"mobiili_valiku_vaade":[{"ID":0,"guid":""}],"sketchfab_id":"","colrecmodel":""}]}