Jax Stumpes: München/Munich IV (6/29/2019)

Saturday, June 29, 2019

München/Munich IV (6/29/2019)

Saturday, June 29, 2019 (continued)

One of the side gates of the Residenz/Royal Palace
on site of a circa 1385 castle that evolved into an
opulent palace (1550-1650), now reconstructed

First the Schatzkammer/Treasury:

Reliquary (1586-1597) with St George on a ruby-studded
ivory horse, killing an emerald green dragon; if you lift
the visor, the face of St George resembles the
Wittelsbach Duke Wilhelm V

Carved ivory crucifix (1630, by Georg Petel, inspired
by a painting by his friend Peter Paul Rubens);
note the flesh at the wrist is pulled by the nails

Intricate portable altarpiece (1573-1574)

Regalia of the 19C Wittelsbach kings; the items were made in France
by the same craftsman who made Napoleon's crown

Operatic choir performing in the octagonal Brunnenhof/Fountain Court
with the Wittelsbach Fountain (1611-1623, by Hans Krumpper
and Hubert Gerhard) showing Otto I surrounded by
the personification of the rivers of Bavaria

Onward to the Cuvilliés Theater (1751, by François Cuvilliés), the ultimate Rococo theater in Germany.

Four tiers of box seats for different classes:
the bottom for Burghers/landed townspeople, royalty
in the most elaborate tier, lesser courtiers in the top two

Thank goodness they turned off the purple lights! The theater was
restored using carved wooden features that were removed for
safekeeping during World War II (KSS)

We took a beverage break at the Spaten Haus

Nationaltheater or Staatsoper/National Opera (destroyed in 1943,
reconstructed according to Karl von Fischer's original neo-classical design)

The theater is located on Max Josef Platz, with a statue of Max Josef/Maximilian I who was a Duke in 1806 when he was deposed by Napoleon. However, when his daughter married Napoleon's step-son, he was crowned King of Bavaria. Maximilian I emancipated the Protestants and Jews, and had the theater commissioned in 1810.
Now to the Residenz/Royal Palace itself:

Muschelgrotte/Shell Grotto, an artificial grotto made
of volcanic tuff and covered with local freshwater shells

Muschelgrotto/Shell Grotto (7/8/1980)

Antiquarium (1550), a 220' hall is the oldest room
serving as a festival banquet hall (KSS)

Hofkapelle/Court Chapel (1601-1614, by
Hans Krumpper) was where Ludwig I was married
and the following reception became the Oktoberfest;
also where the funeral of Ludwig II was held
after his mysterious death in 1886

Private chapel (1607, by Hans Krumpper) of
Maximilian I, an example of religious Mannerist style

Miniature pipe organ (KSS)

Right of altar in private chapel (8/14/1979)

One of the Steinzimmer/Stone Rooms
with real and fake marble

Detail of the marble in a Stone Room

Kaisersaal/Imperial Hall with tapestries
by the Dutch weaver Hans van der Biest

Tapestry of Hippolytus (KSS)

One of the Reiche Zimmer/Ornate Rooms (1730s,
by François de Cuvilliés) known for the gilded stucco
tracery that defines Bavarian Rococo

François de Cuvilliés was a clever dwarf who was sent to Paris to study art and returned to be the court architect. He also designed the theater bearing his name. His assistant was John Baptist Zimmerman of Wieskirche, whom we will meet later.