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Secondary sourceSculpture

Hildegard von Bingen Statue by Karlheinz Oswald

Karlheinz Oswald

A modern bronze statue of Hildegard of Bingen at Eibingen, created by sculptor Karlheinz Oswald.

This modern statue commemorates Hildegard at Eibingen, showing how later generations have honoured her memory.

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Bronze sculpture of a woman's head and shoulders, eyes lowered, with a draped veil or cloak, set against a blue sky with white clouds and a green leafy bush on the right.
Hildegard von Bingen, statue by Karlheinz Oswald, Eibingen.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a bronze sculpture of Hildegard of Bingen created by the sculptor Karlheinz Oswald, located at Eibingen. The statue depicts a woman's head and shoulders with lowered eyes, wearing a draped veil or cloak.

Why it matters

This modern statue is not from Hildegard's own time but is a later tribute, showing how artists today continue to imagine and honour her centuries after her death. It reflects the ongoing respect for her as an abbess, mystic, and Doctor of the Church.

Look closer

  • Why might a sculptor choose to show Hildegard with lowered eyes and a veil?
  • How does a modern bronze statue differ from a portrait made during someone's actual lifetime?
  • What choices did the artist make about Hildegard's appearance, since no contemporary image of her survives to copy exactly?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hildegard of Bingen on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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