KRUMPER, Hans

(b. ~1570 Weilheim, d. 1634 München)

German sculptor, decorator, painter and architect. In 1584 he was apprenticed to Hubert Gerhard, who worked for the court at Munich of William V, Duke of Bavaria (reg 1579-98), where Krumper’s father, a wood-carver, was also employed. During his apprenticeship Krumper worked on the new wings of the Residenz built round the Grottenhof, and probably also on the over life-size terracotta figures made in Gerhard’s workshop for the Michaelskirche, Munich.

In 1590 he was awarded a one-year scholarship to be spent in Italy, but no further details concerning this are known. Two years later he married a daughter of the court painter Friedrich Sustris. From 1594 Krumper received a fixed salary from the court, but, after William V’s abdication in 1598, he was only able to work for him in a private capacity. Not until 1609 was Krumper made a member of the court household of William’s successor, Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria (reg 1597-1651).

Justice

At the beginnig of the 17th century, Augsburg and Munich were centres of Italianism. The main artists working here were trained in Italy, they and their pupils bestowed a Germanic flavour on the last international Mannerism and inaugurated the Bavarian art of the Counter Reformation. Hans Krumper was the pupil of Netherlandish artist Hubert Gerhard who was trained in Italy.

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Patrona Bavariae

From 1599 Krumper was the chief court architect at the court of Bavarian Elector Wilhelm V. He was responsible for the rebuilding of the Residenz, the residential palace in Munich. The fa�ade of the building was decorated with the statues representing the Four Virtues and, in the centre, the Patrona Bavariae.

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Tomb of Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria (detail)

The detail shows one of the princes surrounding the monument, the figure of Prince Albrecht V of Bavaria.

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