Who was MALER, VALENTIN?

MALER, VALENTIN (Germ.). A celebrated Medallist of Nuremberg; son-in-law of Wenzel Jamnitzer, the famous Nuremberg goldsmith ; and father of Christian Maler. The date of his activity ranges from 1568 to 1603, in which year, according to Doppelmayr, he probably died. Mummenh of has traced this artist's origin to Iglau in Moravia, and Erman has further shown that before settling at Nuremberg he had been employed as Mint-engraver at Joachimsthal. He married Wenzel Jamnitzer's daughter Maria in 1569, and by special favour of the Nuremberg Town Council obtained the privileges of a Mastership. It is highly probable that Valentin Maler settled at Nuremberg in, or some time before 1568. A few years later we find him taking up his residence at the Saxon Court, which might account for the fact that of 1573 only one medal is known by the artist and of 1574 and 1575 none at all. He may also have worked in Silesia. After his return to Nuremberg, he remained in connection with the Prince-Elector of Saxony, and in 1590 executed a Portrait-medal of Christian I. The following are known to Erman : Undated. Hans Erasmus von Schwanberg, Mint-master-general for Bohemia, previous to 1566, and perhaps Maler's chief, when engraver at the Joachimsthal Mint ; it was executed before 1568; — Undated. Georg Pichl von Pichlberg, a Bohemian (aet. 26 ; i. e. modelled before 1568); — 1568. Hans Thomas Newkum ; — Wenzel Jamnitzer (2 var. ; one, dated 1571, formerly in the T. W. Greene collection); — Katharina Goswein ; — Leonhart Tucher; — Lorenz Durnhofer ; — 1569. JobstTetzel; — Jacob Muffel; — Balthazar Derrer (illustrated); — Sebald Haller ; — Gabriel Nützel; — Andreas I. Imhof (some varieties; there was a coloured wax Portrait-medallion of the same personage in the Felix collection); — 1570. Martin Holdwick; — Susanna Holdwick ; — Sebastian Imhof; — Lienhard Dilherr; — Stephan Brechtl the elder; — Erhard Behaim and consort Magdalena; — 1571. Christoph Creutz of Letnan in Bohemia; — Hans von Hohenwart, of Joachimsthal; — 1572. Margarethe Gwandtschneider the elder (2 var.); — Matthäus Fetzer; — 1573 . Georg Roggenbach; — 1576. Georg Romer the younger (2 var.); — Philipp Römer; — 1578. Matthias Schilherr and consort Anna; — 1579. Johann Neudörffer junior; — 1580. Georg Roemer junior; — (1581 ?). Conrad Knipping, of Mergentheim (2 var.); — (1581). Johann Herel (illustrated); — 1582. Wenzel Jamnitzer, oval; — 1583. Paul Scheurl; — Religious Medal with figure of Christ; — (1584). Georg Mylius, the well-known Augsburg theologian. R. Head of Luther, in flat relief (illustrated) ; — Undated. Johann Rieter, † 1584; — 1584. Wenzel Jamnitzer, oval; — Matthaeus Schyrer; — (1584). Ernst von Mengersdorf, bishop of Bamberg; — Undated. Frederick VII. , of Limpurg, Court Chamberlain to the Count Palatine, at Heidelberg; — Martin Rehlen; — 1585. Sigismund Feierabend ; — 1587. Heinrich Thenn (the head and arms are cast separately and soldered on a silver plaque); — 1593 . Hermann Heher; — Undated. Joachim Camerarius ; — Simon Naub and consort (Naub was a native of Frankfort-on-M., his wife was of Nuremberg); — Felicitas Sidelmann; — 1594. Johannes Masler (in British Museum ; published by Dr Julius Cahn, Num. Chron., 1904, pl. VII, 6) ; — Paul Luther, (Luther's son), Facing portrait (Berl. Münzblätter, 1903, p. 390). The above list of Maler's cast medals is no doubt very incomplete. Erman suggests that the following unsigned medals of Würzburg and Bamberg are by him also. In style and workmanship they bear a strong similarity to the medals of Georg Mylius of 1584 and Matthias Schilherr of 1578 ; the portraits are facing, and in very low relief, and the lettering reminds one entirely of Maler's peculiar characteristics. It is further known, from contemporary documents, that the artist worked for the Bishop of Bamberg, but did not sign his productions at the episcopal court. Heller (p. 27) has recorded a payment of 22 florins made to Maler for the modelling of the Portrait-medal of Ernst von Mengersdorf, bishop of Bamberg; a cast in gold was made of this by the Bamberg goldsmith, Bernhard Rehm. Erman ascribes to Valentin Maler the Portrait-medals of : 1575. Julius Echter, bishop of Würzburg; — 1577. Wilhelm Schutzper, surnamed Milchling, of Würzburg (Zeits. f. Num., 10, 174); — Johann Georg, bishop of Bamberg; — Undated. Adam Calvus, of Würzburg ; — Lienhart Hiebner and consort Barbara (probably a son of Lienhart Hiebner of Nuremberg, who was born in 1502). Amongst the unsigned Nuremberg Portrait-medals in very low relief Erman suggests the attribution of the following to Valentin Maler, and in support of this he points out that the Fetzer medal of 1576 is a copy of that of 1572, which bears the artist's monogram. As however, Maler's productions before 1568 cannot be traced, there must still be some uncertainty as to the authorship of these medals : 1567. Paul Behaim ; — 1573. Gabriel Tucher; — 1575. Lorenz Zollikofer; — 1576. Matthaeus Fetzer; — Leonhardt Nierenberger and consort Frau Froniga ; and probably also : 1580. Willibald Imhof the Elder; and 1588. Michael Iensinger. Many of the medals formerly ascribed to Wenzel Jamnitzer belong in reality to Valentin Maler. Besides the above-mentioned cast medals, Maler is the author of numerous struck pieces, most of which, says Erman, were made for sale, but some also as Presentation-pieces for princes, as the oval badge of Charles II. of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Zeits.für Num., XI, pl. 2). These struck medals are by no means inferior in style to the cast pieces, but are usually signed V.M. or still more frequently: V.M. CVM PRIVILE. CAES. ; and also FA. V.M.C. PRIVILE (Faciebat Valentin Maler cum Privilegio). The following struck medals bear Valentin Maler's signature ; they however represent but a portion of the artist's productions in that category : Jakob Scholtz (one of the artist's earliest medals, the dies of which were formerly preserved at the Joachimsthal Mint); — Portrait-jeton of Valentin Maler; — Maximilian II., — R. Eagle supporting orb in its claws (sev. var.); — R. Eagle supporting orb in its claws (sev. var.); Coronation Medal of the Emperor Rudolph II., 1576 and 1589 (sev. var.) ;— Medal of the Prince-Electors, R. MANE NOBISCVM &c. (sev. var.) ; — Medal of the Augustine friar Gottfried, of Raab, 1601 ; — Leonhard Dilherr von Thummenberg, of Nuremberg; — Sebald Haller von Hallerstein, 1569; — Stephan Brechtl, mathematician, of Nuremberg; — Wolff von Breuningen; — S. Ludovicus Schaublein(?); — Homage to the Emperor Rudolph II. and his ancestors, 1590 and 1594 (sev. var.); — Nuremberg New year's Medal, 1580 ;— Building ofthe Fleischbrücke on the Pegnitz, by the Nuremberg Urban Council, 1598 ; — Accession of Prince-Elector Christian II., Duke of Saxony, 1601 ; — Al. Jewelled Badge of Duke Augustus of Saxony, circ. 1574 (2 var.); — Medallic Thaler of Christian, Duke of Saxony, 1590; The Prince-Elector on horseback; R. Arms; — Commemorative Medal of the Shooting F?te at Nuremberg, 1592 ; — Birth of Princess Claude of France, a presentation piece to Nuremberg notabilities, 1580; — Medal of 1599 struck in honour of the Burgomaster and Aldermen of Frankfort-on-M. (sev. var.); — "Shooting" Thaler of Frankfort-on-M., 1582 (sev. var.); — Capture of the Fortress of Raab (Schwarzenberg(, 1598 ; — Various Religious medals ; — Jakob Fugger the wealthy (attributed to Dürer by Erman); — Bishop Johann von Speyer (the last two medals are very similar in style), &c. At the Dresden ' Kunstgewerbe-Ausstellung', 1906, the following medals by Valentin Maler were exhibited, and they are described in Prof. Dr B. Pick's catalogue : Andreas Imhoff, 1569 (lead, uniface); — Jakob Muffel, 1569 (lead, uniface) ; — Wenzel Jamnitzer, 1571 (lead, uniface); — Julius Echter, bishop of Würzburg, 1575 (AR. gilt) ; — Another, smaller (AR.) ; — Georg Mylius, of Augsburg (R. Martin Luther), 1584 (AR. gilt. Gotha); — Wenzel Jamnitzer, 1584 (lead, Gotha); — Sigismund Feierabend, of Frankfort, 1585 (AR.) ; — Hieronymus Paumgartner, 1598 (AR. gilt). All the above are cast medals, whereas the following are struck specimens : Emperor Rudolf II., undated (AR. Gotha); — Prince-Elector's medal, 1589; — King David. Medal of David Weiss of Augsburg; — Balthasar Paumgartner, 1592 (lead, uniface. Gotha). The last may be by Val. Maler, and is a cast piece. Some interesting notes are given by Dr Julius Cahn in his article on German Renaissance Medals (Num. Chron., 1904, p. 41) : " So far as the technical work of medals of the German Renaissance is concerned, the masters of the sixteenth century preferred casting, only few examples of striking being in existence. It is well known that casting is the nobler and more artistic method of producing medals, and among all nations the best work in this branch of art has been done in this way. "The models were, as a rule, first carved in wood, the letters being afterwards fastened on. Many of these wooden models are still preserved, and serve as ornaments of our collections. A good many medals were also executed in honestone. The art of modelling in wax came into use later, but, once known, was soon in general favour. The finished cast was often worked over with the chisel, in order to bring out details. But there are also in existence most successful casts which have not been touched. The metal in general use was bronze; silver was less used at first, and one must not de surprised to find that many of the medals are of lead. The first casts, which were at the same time the proofs, were always produced in the less valuable metal, and of many medals we possess only these casts in lead. " Valentin Maler, says Dr B. Pick, modelled his medals in wax, and many of his Portrait-medallions in wax are still in existence. One of Andreas Imhoff (illustrated) was formerly in the Felix Collection. The artist was employed also by various mints, as Würzburg, Nuremberg, &c., to engrave coin-dies. A rare Guldenthaler of Würzburg, dated 1593, bears his initials. Bibliography. — Erman, op. cit., p. 55. — Mummenhof, Anz. f. Kunde d. Vorz., 24, p. 253. — Heller, Bambergische Münzen, pp. 27, 28. — Ammon, op.cit., n° 61. — Numobhyl. Burckhard, p. Il, nos 915-916. — Doppelmaier, op. cit., p. 210, 215. — FlaJ, op. cit. — Wills, op. cit., II, 137, &c. ; III, 345, 393, 422 ; IV, 219, 243, 250, 315. — Nagler, Allgemeines Künstler-Lexikon, 1839. — Fiala, op. cit. — Dr Julius Cahn, Medaillen u. Plaketten der Sammlung W . P. Metzler. — Ibid., Inedited or rare German Medals in the British Museum, Num. Chron., 1904, p. 60. — Bolzenthal, op. cit — Domanig, op. cit. — L. and L. Hamburger, Raritäten- Cabinet, IV, n° 390. — Dr Merzbacher, Kunst-Medaillen-Katalog, 1900. — Bahrfeldt, Münzen der Fürstenthümer Hohenzollern. — Katalog der Münzen-und Medaillen Stempel-Sammlung des K. K. Hauptmüntzamtes in Wien, 1901. — Erbstein, op. cit. — Blanchet, op. cit., II, 375. — Ad. Hess Nachf., Reimmann Sale Catalogue, 1892. — N. Rondot and H. de La Tour, Les midailleurs et les graveurs de monnaies, jetons et médailles en France, 1904. — Paul Joseph and Eduard Fellner, op. cit. — H. W. Singer, Allgemeines Künstler-Lexikon, — 1898. Dr Georg Habich, Studien zur Deutschen Renaissance-medaille, 1906.

Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904

Mint master: In medieval and early modern Germany, the Münzmeister ("mint master", the Latin term is monetarius) was the director or administrator of a mint, a moneyer with responsibility for the minting of coins, or specie. His duties were defined differently at different locations and ages.