The work recreates the construction site of the cathedral at the end of the 13th century, at the time when the western facade was being built. The new building, work on which was launched at the end of the 12th century, serves as the backdrop to a scene involving a multitude of characters, in a pyramidal composition. The central figure is erwin of steinbach, who presents his plan to bishop conrad, while his daughter sabine, with a mallet in her hand, watches the discussion. Monks and servants bringing a snack accompany this trio. All around this central group, laborers, stonecutters and draftsmen swarm and bustle, some pulling carts of cut stones, others working on the roof of the nave or the scaffolding of the facade. In the right foreground, a figure on horseback wields a whip, while a small dog enjoys chasing a hook attached to the end of a rope pulled by a worker, mixing anecdotal and humor with the mythical history of the construction of the monument. Date: 1850.
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