Koerbecke, Johann

(c. 1420-1491)

   German painter from Münster where he is first recorded in 1446. Koerbecke exemplifies the rejection in Germany of the International Style during the first half of the 15th century in favor of greater naturalism and solidity of forms. His most important masterpiece is the Marienfeld Altarpiece, painted for the high altar of the Cistercian Abbey Church of Marienfeld, Münster (1457). Now dismantled and its pieces scattered through various museums, the work includes scenes of the life of the Virgin and Christ's Passion. Christ before Pilate, now in the Landesmuseum in Münster, is one of those scenes and shows the figures in contemporary garb against a German cityscape to appeal to local 15th-century viewers. Others are the Road to Calvary, also in Münster, and the Crucifixion in the Berlin Staatliche Museen. These works reveal Koerbecke's dependence on Flemish prototypes, particularly in the treatment of drapery, the vibrancy of colors, and deep emotionalism. His figures, however, are not as voluminous as the Flemish prototypes.