Baltic Journal of Art History

Foreword

Anu Mänd — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Privacy of a Court Painter: Michel Sittow and his Journeys to the Courts of Isabella of Castile, Christian II of Denmark, and Margaret of Austria

Oskar J. Rojewski, Mette Birkedal Bruun — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The painter Michel Sittow worked for at least three courts: Castile,
Denmark, and the Habsburg’s Low Countries. His presence and, to
some extent, his status and activities are documented in scattered
indications in financial sources and inventories. Examining those
primary sources, this article pursues two lines of inquiry. Firstly, we
trace Sittow’s trajectory and the connection of his artworks to these
three periods of his life. Secondly, we deploy the painter’s case to
ponder material and immaterial courtly boundaries that would have
constituted different degrees and forms of privacy at court. Finally,
this dual examination shows that he may indeed have posed a threat
to the privacy of some of his royal employers.

Late Gothic Bookbinding in Tallinn

Kaspar Kolk — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The central issue of this study is establishing the corpus of late
Gothic bookbindings produced in Tallinn by a few consecutive and
interrelated binders in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
The survey of decorative tools and bookbinding designs allows the
attribution of twenty-eight currently known surviving bindings to
these binders. The designs of the tools used in Tallinn’s workshop
reveal the northern German, primarily Lübeck area, connections
of the earlier generation of late Gothic binders in Tallinn. In the
second phase, more diversified tooling appears that could hint at the
import of tools from different areas or production of the tools locally,
imitating the stamps on imported bindings of various origins. The
style and techniques of both stages remain conservative, preserving
the medieval symbolic and decorative imagery. Since most of the
surviving bindings have been preserved in Tallinn, and many
originate from the Dominican friary, it is reasonable to conclude that
the bindery was also closely connected to the friary. The Dominican
manuscript waste reused in the bindings adds corroboration to this
assumption.

Art in Medieval Tartu

Anu Mänd — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Of the three medieval Livonian cities, Tartu is in the most challenging
position when it comes to both written and visual sources. Repeatedly
conquered and plundered during the wars of the 16th–20th centuries,
Tartu lost its medieval archives and buildings. To date, research on
medieval Tartu’s art has largely concentrated on the architecture of
its cathedral and the parish church of St. John.
This article aims to explore potential avenues for studying medieval
art in Tartu by utilizing written sources, historical drawings, and
surviving works of art. Many of the stone carvings discussed are
published here for the first time. However, the article does not intend
to present a comprehensive overview of all preserved medieval
art from Tartu – a task made impossible by the sheer number of
fragmented grave slabs alone.
The first section of the article examines written records related
to the commissioning and donation of artworks. It then reviews the
preserved carved stones and fragments from churches, including a
piscina, a sacrament niche, and several grave slabs. Carved stones
from burgher residences are even fewer, comprising an inscribed
capital, three doorside stones (Beischlagsteine), and a lintel. Analysis
of the limestone materials shows that most of the carved stones
from Tartu’s churches and dwellings were made from Lasnamäe
limestone. However, it remains unclear whether only rough blocks
were transported to Tartu or whether the artistic designs themselves
were commissioned from Tallinn masters. Finally, the article discusses
two notable artworks – a silver-gilt chalice and a bronze church bell
– both of which were likely taken to Russia following the conquest
of Tartu in 1558 during the Livonian War.
The findings highlight that, while medieval sources for studying
Tartu’s art are limited, they are more abundant than previously
assumed. Continued investigation of written records and historical
drawings holds great promise. In addition, many fragmented grave
slabs require documentation and cataloging in museum collections,
and further research into their materials is essential.

The Largest Livonian Coin Was Minted in Tartu

Ivar Leimus — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Review: First Comprehensive Survey of Medieval Estonian Visual Culture

Marek Tamm — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Review: So Near and Yet So Far: Art History of Latvia I

Anneli Randla — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000