General admission for children 17 years and under is always free

Manfred Bischoff

Artist-in-Residence

One of Europe's foremost contemporary goldsmiths, Manfred Bischoff was born in Germany and lived and worked in Munich and Berlin before relocating to Italy. Bischoff had a fascination with language, a sardonic wit, and an unerring eye for simple beauty. He spent the month of February 2002 reading, studying the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's collection, and contemplating ideas in preparation for his solo exhibition that opened at the Gardner in June 2002. Bischoff's exhibition included 21 pieces of jewelry mounted on boards decorated with ink drawing, painting, and/or collage that resonated with each work. These objects had the quality of sculpture, not ornament.

Manfred Bischoff, Or-Son, 2002 Brooch, fine gold and coral, 3 ¼ x 4 x 1 in., displayed on a painting on paper created by Bischoff for his Gardner exhibition. © Manfred Bischoff, Aurelio Amendola, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Manfred Bischoff, Or-Son, 2002 Brooch, fine gold and coral, 3 ¼ x 4 x 1”. © Manfred Bischoff, Aurelio Amendola, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Manfred Bischoff, Or-Son, 2002 Brooch, fine gold and coral, 3 ¼ x 4 x 1 in., displayed on a painting on paper created by Bischoff for his Gardner exhibition.
Manfred Bischoff, Or-Son, 2002 Brooch, fine gold and coral, 3 ¼ x 4 x 1”. Displayed on a drawing by Bischoff that depicts a sketch and notes from the conservator who treated the work in 1999. These notes indicate that written on the back of the fresco is a phrase, “Do not wait to act if you are ready” Between the phrases “do not wait to act” and “if you are ready”, is the word “wait”. To Bischoff, this phrase captured Hercule’s pre-explosive waiting; his breathing in and breathing out before the gesture. But, it also defined the crucial moment before Bischoff’s own creative action.

Bischoff particularly responded to Piero della Francesca's Hercules in the Early Italian Room and to records about the fresco’s conservation treatment in 1999. Or-Son, a brooch in fine gold and expensive coral captured the essence of Piero's Hercules with its qualities of beauty, movement, and grace. On the mounting board, Bischoff copied a simple drawing taken from the conservation records, and painted sweeping brush strokes in red and pink paint that emulated the imminent motion of Hercules’ club.

An artist's book was produced in conjunction with the exhibition featuring an essay by independent curator Cornelia Lauf, an interview with the artist conducted by Gardner Museum contemporary curator Pieranna Cavalchini, and photographs of Bischoff's works by renowned Italian photographer Aurelio Amendola.
Manfred Bischoff’s work can be found in the collections of the Danner-Stiftung Collection, Munich; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and the Power House Museum in Sydney, Australia.

Photo at top: Manfred Bischoff: Don’t Wait To Act If You are Ready, June 5 – September 22, 2002, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

Return to All Artists-in-Residence