e five reliefs, representing as many scenes from the lives
of the emperor and empress. The monuments and religious subjects
executed by this sculptor are very numerous. In the church at Maidbrunn
there is a relief representing the "Lamentation over the Dead Body of
Christ," which is probably his latest work. It is cut from sandstone,
and the figure of Nicodemus is believed to be the sculptor's own
portrait.

We give here four figures from the portal of the cathedral at Berne, in
Switzerland. The really splendid sculptures were the work of Nicolaus
Kuenz, and from their style seem to belong to about 1520. They show the
influence of such artists as the painters Nicolaus Manuel (1484-1531)
and Hans Holbein (about 1459-1524). The statues of the Wise and Foolish
Virgins are fine, and that of Justice, whose pose is full of grace, and
whose almost transparent garment is an exquisite work, affords an
excellent illustration of the most pleasing sculpture of this period
(Figs. 92, 93).

[Illustration: FIG. 92.--JUSTICE.]

[Illustration: FIG. 93.--THE THREE WISE VIRGINS.]

Another art, which had its headquarters at Nuremberg in the fifteenth
century, is bronze-casting, and its chief master was the famous PETER
VISCHER, who was the son of another brasier, HERMANN VISCHER. The date
of Peter Vischer's birth is given as 1460, and he was admitted to be a
master in his art in 1489. Five years later than this he was summoned to
Heidelberg together with a sculptor, Simon Lamberger, to aid the Elector
Philip with advice and skill. Nothing is known of any work which Vischer
did there.

Vischer's foundry at Nuremberg enjoyed a great fame, and orders were
sent to it from far and near. No doubt a great many monuments were cast
here which were not designed by Vischer at all. His works were numerous,
but I shall only describe his masterpiece, which was the shrine or tomb
of St. Sebald, and occupied Peter Vischer from 1508 to 1519, he being
assisted by his five sons. The son Peter was admitted as a master in the
thimble trade in 1527. Hans was called "the caster," and seems to have
superintended the carving of models; Hermann went to Italy and brought
home designs and models; and Jacob and Paul seem to have had no special
departments. Between 1495 and 1508 so little was recorded of Peter
Vischer that it leads to the belief that these years must have been
given to study and to the improvement which the tomb of St. Sebald shows
over the work