Notke, Bernt

Bernt Notke, (born c. 1440, Lassahn, Pomerania [now in Germany]—died before May 12, 1509, Lübeck), sculptor, painter, and engraver who was one of the most important artists in eastern Germany and the surrounding area during the 15th century. His intense and expressionistic works were instrumental in the development of sculpture in Germany.

In 1505 Notke was named Werkmeister of Petrikirche in Lübeck, and he also lived in other parts of the Baltic Sea area. Though he was a highly productive artist, few of his works are preserved. During the 1480s and ’90s, Notke lived intermittently in Sweden. He produced his major sculptural group, “St. George and the Dragon,” in Stockholm in 1489. Other documented works include the high altar at Tallinn (1482), the high altar at Århus, Den. (1479), and the “Triumphal Cross” in the Cathedral of Lübeck (1477).