Wayside Chapel The chapel at DEINHARD's
Remarks by Eta Dewies
In the historic connecting wing between the new building and the historic structure there is a chapel under the roof, which was conceived and realised as a complete work of art by the artist W. Gies.
Gies was inspired by the elongated room with its open beams to design a "wayside chapel". In memory of the popular wayside shrines, depictions of Mary and St Christopher have been incorporated into the two gable walls. Both are deeply rooted in popular belief.
The floor design characterises the path with a darker stone covering. This runs diagonally through the length of the room from door to door and is crossed by a second path leading to the altar.
A staff cross has been erected at the edge of the path towards the altar.
Due to its polygonal shape, the altar has a sculptural effect in all directions of the room. It was deliberately constructed from simple plywood. The artist has matched the colour of the wood to that of the floor by processing the surface. The grain still shows discreet growth, layering and is sometimes reminiscent of the waves and sound patterns of chandelier figures.
The structure of the approx. 2.70 metre high bar cross is characterised by the alternation of constructive and natural forms. The stone base is constructed from seven slabs of the base material, which are stepped towards the top. In it stands a natural-looking birch trunk carved by the artist. A crux quadrata forms the finial. On one side of the cross is a gestural brush drawing in black. Black as the colour of the "fusion of all experiences" or "the absolute that carries all content within itself" (Max Raphael). On the other side is the brush drawing in yellow, yellow as the colour of the overflowing, generous source of light.
The murals are based on prints of Dürer's so-called bread and butter motifs, a coronation of the Virgin Mary from 1518 and St Christopher from 1501.
The two woodcut prints were first mirrored horizontally so that they reflect the (more dynamic) composition on the printing block and not that of the print. They were brought to mural size, printed on canvas using inkjet and then finished with oil paint by Gies.
The lower zone of the Coronation of the Virgin is both the foreground and the setting for a merry scene alluding to Mantegna's children's bacchanal. A cheeky little boy snatches the sheet of music out of the flute player's sight. A few of the putti appear to be fighting over a bottle of wine. Only the child figure on the far right, the only one without wings, is contemplating the childishly free-spirited goings-on, standing leg, free leg, leaning on a kind of stylus? A chisel? The artist perhaps?
The colour scheme reflects the exuberant, almost tipsy cheerfulness. The central putti presents a jug with the symbols lily of the valley (purity, humility, modesty) and columbine (humility, vitality, salvation, praise of God).
The upper zone with the crown held by angels is shown from below. It looks like an opening, gathered curtain that draws the eye to the main action. The colour scheme corresponds to the dramatic events.
Surprisingly, the clear black and white, almost uncoloured central zone is an eye-catcher. At the beginning is the drummer, a kind of angel of the Annunciation. In the centre is Mary with the child, who seems to want to get down from the cushion and join the boisterous children's company. The quince in Mary's hand symbolises love, fertility, wisdom and immortality. On the right, our gaze lingers on the angel handing out grapes as a reference to the future path of suffering, the winepress - death, wine and resurrection.
St Christopher is regarded as one of the emergency helpers and also as the patron saint of travellers, gardeners and fruit growers.
On the opposite chapel wall, Gies literally wedges the mighty Christophorus into the gable wall. It is a depiction of the Christophorus theme with exceptionally strong artistic intent on Dürer's part. The strongly rhythmic ornamentation of the leaf allowed Gies to work freely with the colour.
The still sunny evening mood of a river landscape in the picture makes the viewer think of the Moselle here in Bernkastel.
The casel, the priest's robe, was also designed by Gies. It shows a motif from the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, the presentation of the grapes by an angel.