Leonard Kern
(1588-1662)

Austrian Ivory Carver

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Leonard Kern was an important 17th century ivory turner. Kern studied and worked in Naples and Rome, Italy before establishing his career in Germany. Kern spent many years working in Heidelberg, Nuremberg and Schwabisch Hall. By the end of his life he had become one of Germany's greatest carvers.

Kern was recognized for his small statues of known and mythological figures. These statuettes were finely carved in a post-Mannerist, Baroque style. Kern's work has also been described as Rubensian and reflective of the changing trends in Franconian culture. Kern's work was classical and naturalistic, in comparison to the refined, Mannerist style.