b. 1548 Nuremburg, Germany, d. 1620
sculptor
German

Benedikt Wurzelbauer was one of the last of the great German bronze casters of the Northern Renaissance. Born in 1548 in Nuremberg, a thriving commercial and artistic center, Wurzelbauer took on the family foundry business. Under the leadership of Benedikt and his son Johann, the foundry became the most important in Nuremberg. The Wurzelbauers' distinctive recipe for the copper alloy with which they cast their works has aided scholars in the identification of their sculptures. Although other artists often designed the sculptures and carved the wooden models, Benedikt and other members of his family often signed the works that they cast. As a sculptor, Wurzelbauer is best known for funerary monuments, small table statuettes, and fountains. His most important civic sculptural project was for the Fountain of Virtues near the church of Saint Lorenz in Nuremberg, which he completed in 1589. Although he designed the project and eventually cast the pieces in his foundry, the artist Johannes Schnünneman carved the models. Wurzelbauer's artistic activities often involved him in civic affairs, and he became very involved in local politics. He was named to the city council in 1599.