Matthias Gerung
Illustration — Melancholy in the Garden of Life (1558), Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Matthias Gerung or, in older literature, Mathias Geron (c. 1500, Nördlingen – 1570, Lauingen), was a German painter and woodcut artist.
Also recorded as Matheus Geron · Matheus Gerung · Matthias Geron · Mathis Gerung
Matthias Gerung
Matthias Gerung · Ottheinrich Bibel 1730 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1500
- Died
- 1570 · Lauingen.
- Nationality
- Germany
- Occupation
- illuminator · painter · printmaker · xylographer · miniaturist · artist
- Languages
- German
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Melancholy in the Garden of Life (1558), Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Matthias Gerung or, in older literature, Mathias Geron (c. 1500, Nördlingen – 1570, Lauingen), was a German painter and woodcut artist.
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Note VALÉORINE
Matthias Gerung (1500–1570) was an artist, illuminator and miniaturist, among other activities, of German nationality. The artist was born in Nördlingen and died in Lauingen. Matthias Gerung worked in Lauingen and Nördlingen.
Languages used include German. Works are held at Art Institute of Chicago, Bavarian National Museum and Führermuseum, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q1909908 · wikipedia · Matthias Gerung
In this article
Biography
Biography
He was probably the son of a violinist known as "Shoemaker" Matthias (?–1521) and may have studied painting with Hans Leonhard Schäufelin. Earlier sources indicate that he also studied with Hans Burgkmair. In 1525, he moved to Lauingen in the Duchy of Pfalz-Neuburg. He then married Anna Reiser, who was likely the daughter of Matthes Reiser (?–c.1519); also a painter. Gerung may have moved there to take over his workshop. He and Anna had two sons, Ambrosius and Hans, who became a goldsmith. In 1530–31, he carried out several commissions for Otto Henry, Elector Palatine, including wallpaper design at Schloss Neuburg, the production of genealogical tapestries and the creation of illustrations for what has come to be known as the Ottheinrich Bible, one of the most valuable medieval manuscripts in existence. The Bible had been started almost 100 years earlier and he added 117 illustrations. He appears once again in the tax lists for 1568, where he is also described as a constable and siegler (a type of notary). His detailed panel paintings provide a wealth of information about life in 16th century Germany. In addition to his clearly attributable works, he is also believed to have created several satirical pieces that criticized the Catholic Church and the Papacy.
Identity
Identity
Matthias Gerung is recorded as illuminator, painter, printmaker, xylographer and miniaturist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1500
Matthias Gerung born at Nördlingen.
1570
Matthias Gerung died at Lauingen.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1909908: Matthias Gerung
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Matthias Gerung”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Gerung, Matthias, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2011
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.NDB 6 334 335 Gerung, Mathis Friedrich Zoepfl 119026708
- 2.Frank Büttner and Gabrielle Wimböck: Das Bild als Autorität, 2004, LIT Verlag
Bibliography printed in the source article · 2
- Anja F. Eichler: Mathis Gerung (um 1500–1570): Die Gemälde, Peter Lang, 1993
- Petra Roettig: Reformation als Apokalypse. Die Holzschnitte von Matthias Gerung im Codex germanicus 6592 der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in München, Peter Lang, 1991
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Gerung, Matthias, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011Crossref registry
Institutional witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q1909908: Matthias GerungWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Matheus Geron, Matheus Gerung, Matthias Geron, Mathis Gerung and Mathias Geron. His recorded language was German.
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
Work by Matthias Gerung is
Art Institute of Chicago, Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Bavarian National Museum and Führermuseum
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Prints
4,138 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Matthäus GreuterEngraver
- Matthäus Merian the youngerEngraver
- Mattheus BorrekensEngraver
- Matthew BrannonEngraver
- Matthias QuadEngraver
- Matthias ZündtEngraver
- Matthijs PoolEngraver
- Matthys CockEngraver
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