Faith and Justice: allegorical painted figures added in 1577 by artist Christian Vacksterffer to stonework behind the elaborate timber corner oriel of Maison Pfister, a prestigious galleried Renaissance merchant’s house built in 1537 in the historic centre of Colmar, Alsace, Grand Est, France.
Colmar, Alsace, Grand Est, France: allegorical figures representing Faith (Glaube) and Justice (Gerechtigkeit), delicately painted on sandstone by artist Christian Vacksterffer, were added to the wall behind the two-storey timber corner oriel of the galleried Maison Pfister at 11 Rue des Marchands in the late 1500s. The prestigious residence, now named after its 19th century owner and restorer, merchant Francois-Zavier Pfister, was built in German Renaissance style in 1537 for the wealthy Besançon hatter or milliner Ludwig Scherer, who made a fortune in the silver trade. It replaced an earlier house on the corner site and was constructed of yellow Rouffach sandstone and timber with street level arcades, a balustraded wooden gallery, the elaborate two-storey oriel, an octagonal stair tower and two attic levels. Mural paintings, all attributed to Christian Vacksterffer, were added to the house in 1577. Apart from the allegorical Faith and Justice figures, the decoration includes coats of arms (the Holy Roman Empire, the city of Colmar and Haute-Alsace), the Four Evangelists, the fathers of the Western Church and biblical scenes from the Gospels and Book of Genesis, as well as bas-relief medallions portraying 16th century Germanic emperors. Maison Pfister was declared an historic monument in 1927, its construction date confirmed by an inscription on a stair tower window. It was the first Renaissance building in Colmar and is regarded as a gem of Alsatian architecture (officially, a “jewel of the Renaissance”).
Size: 4166px × 2782px
Location: Colmar, Alsace, Grand Est, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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