Restoration of the epitaph painting in St. Marien in Wiesenburg

The Church of St. Marien in Wiesenburg is a spacious, cross-shaped field stone building from the first half of the 13th century with renovations mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries. The church building was extensively renovated in the 1990s. The interior welcomes the visitor with a special atmosphere as it houses a number of remarkable pieces of equipment. In addition to that of Frederick III. The stone epitaph for his parents donated by Brandt von Lindau in 1561 is particularly notable for the epitaph painting for his wife, Margareta von Dießkau, who died in childbirth in 1568.

The wooden panel painting, which was exceptionally touching for its time, shows Margareta, surrounded by her family, lying in a canopy bed in front of the magnificent architectural backdrop of an ideal Tuscan city. It depicts the moment in which the dying woman hands her newborn to a relative. This special moment is emphasized by the red-dressed angel at the head of the bed. It brings the dying candle. The birth and death scenes merge into one image. The painting is undoubtedly of high artistic quality. However, a variety of damages make it difficult to appreciate the painting in its entirety and with all its diverse details. The necessary restoration measures are therefore very diverse and, in addition to strengthening the paint layer and stabilizing the image support, also aim to achieve aesthetic improvements.