Nuremberg Triptych

Gouache and watercolor on paper. Wilhelm Ritter's Nuremberg Triptych was painted on commission from the City of Nuremberg for the Paris World's Fair of 1900. The central subject of the giant-sized three-part watercolor is a partial bird's-eye view of Nuremberg's Main Market Square. The side panels are a kind of cross-section with interior views of two popular Nuremberg structures, the Henkersteg bridge with the water tower, and the courtyard of the "Golden Goose" inn. These three views of Nuremberg served as a backdrop for the real exhibit: a 1:20 model of a hospital complex planned by the city's construction office. The walls of the individual model buildings were open for better viewing – which explains the choice of the triptych's illustrative treatment.