WILHELM PLEYDENWURFF (PLEIDENWURFF)

Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, born in 1460 in Nuremberg (and deceased in the same city in 1494), was the youngest of three sons of Hans Pleydenwurff, who since 1457 owned a large painting workshop in Nuremberg. In 1472, after his father’s death, he became a co-owner of the workshop together with the painter Michael Wolgemut who married his mother.

The name of Wilhelm Pleydenwurff was mentioned for the first time in Nuremberg annals in 1482–1483. In 1487–1488 and in 1491–1493 he worked together with his stepfather on illustrating the Schedel’s World Chronicle. In 1490-1491, his name in the list of taxpayers followed the name of Michael Wolgemut. It is almost impossible to see the difference between these two painters in the illustrations of the World Chronicle.