Keith Holyoake

Nicolas de Verdun is an active goldsmith between 1181 and 1205, which worked close to Vienna, with Cologne and Tournai. With him the transition from the Romance age is carried out to the Gothic style , thanks to the ambon that it enamelled with refinement about 1181 for the abbey of Klosterneuburg and especially thanks to the mounting of Notre-Dame de Tournai, whose figurines are treated with an accent which announces the conquests of the large statuary of the 15th century.

At the 12th century, Nicolas de Verdun, artist verdunois as his name indicates it, of a real European reputation, more precisely in Austria, Germanie and Belgium, are known to be today the large goldsmith of the Moyen-âge. Authenticate genius, at the origin of an esthetic revolution: the perfection of goldsmithery and the emaillery, a new style, it works gold and enamels like a painter his fabric and its colors.

Called here and there, it composes and creates remarkable works which are worth a growing celebrity to him. We are informed currently of three masterpieces in three different cities on three different dates.

In 1181, it carries out as a virtuoso the ordering of Werner, prior of the abbey of Klosterneuburg in Austria, very close to Vienna. It then creates its masterpiece among the masterpieces: splendid the ambon enamelled, in the form of triptych, representing 51 biblical scenes.

In 1184, it works in Cologne and produces the mounting of the Three Magi of the cathedral. In 1205, it gets busy with the success of the mounting of Notre-Dame de Tournai, a sumptuous box, with impressive dimensions, on which one discovers with amazement fourteen episodes of the life of Marie and Christ.

In his private life, one lends a son to him: Colars, glass Master with Tournai. For the remainder, with the truth, one knows almost nothing him.

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