# Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/colyn-alexander-r957294defea343/tomb-of-emperor-maximilian-i-rb6a5f22f2fdaff>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [COLYN, Alexander](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/colyn-alexander-r957294defea343>)
- Date: 1551-1600
- Technique: Marble and bronze

## Commentary

Emperor Maximilian&#39;s ornate black marble cenotaph occupies the center of the nave. Florian Abel \(died 1565\), of the Prague imperial court, supplied a full-sized draft of the high tomb in the florid style of court Mannerism. Its construction took more than 80 years. The sarcophagus itself was completed in 1572, and the final embellishments — the kneeling emperor, the four virtues, and the iron grille — were added in 1584. Alexander Colyn created 24 white marble reliefs for the tomb, based on woodcuts from the &lt;a onclick=&#34;return OpenOther\(&#39;/html/d/durer/2/12/8triumph/index.html&#39;\)&#34; href=&#34;/html/d/durer/2/12/8triumph/index.html&#34;&gt;Triumphal Arch by Albrecht Dürer.&lt;/a&gt;

## Related artworks

- [Façade of the Otto Heinrich Wing](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/colyn-alexander-r957294defea343/faade-of-the-otto-heinrich-wing-rf8ce44b33b557e>)
- [Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/colyn-alexander-r957294defea343/tomb-of-emperor-maximilian-i-detail-r949e91b89a3c0b>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)