Location
Croatia, Brod-Posavina County, Cernik
Church of Saint Leonard (Crkva sv. Leonarda)
Parish of St Peter the Apostle in Cernik
Artwork
High Altar in the Church of St Leonard in Cernik
Type
High altar
Dimensions
Height: 711 cm, width: 415 cm, depth: 92 cm
Inscriptions
- EN AEDESSACRA / TIBILEONARERE / SUROTITUNOSO / PTATAFACIASTU / AIN AEDEBEATOS (In the cartouche above the altar painting, in the repolychromy layer)
- OBNOVIO / IZ TEMELJA / OLTAR / S. LEONARDA / FR JEREMIJA / Kolednjak / 1986 g. (on the backside of the left detached constructional element)
- S Božjom pomoću / OBNOVLJENA CRKVA 27. V. 2001. g. / za p. Franje Tomaševića, gvardijana i župnika cerničkog (on the new backside construction of the altar)
- S.ANTUN (in the cartouche under the sculpture of St Anthony, in the repolychromy layer; pentimento: S.ILIJA)
- S.FRANJO (on the cartouche under the sculpture of St Francis, in the repolychromy layer)
- S.ILIJA (on the cartouche under the sculpture of St Eliah, in the repolychromy layer; pentimento: S:.FRANJO)
- S.JOSIP (on the cartouche under the sculpture of St Joseph, in the repolychromy; pentimento: S.ANTUN)
- TU.QVI ES:CAPTIVI S.LEONARd EK......EFEST OBSSESIS NEC NON TERA PELLE... (on the altar painting)
Critical History
A new church of Saint Leonard had been built in 1751, but the construction of a new altar was postponed for several years.1 The high altar was first mentioned in the records of the canonical visitation in 1765 as new, but still without polychromy and gilding,2 which were completed during some time before 1780. 3 The records lack description apart that it had a painting. Doris Baričević attributed the altar and its sculptures to Franz Anton Straub on the basis of stylistic resemblance to his other proposed works. She added that the sculptures show lower quality, probably because at that time Franz Anton had been busy with other ongoing works, so his apprentices might have carried out the majority of its execution. She also commented that the adorning angels on the attic stand out with their beauty, so they are more likely to be the work of the master himself.4
The donor of the high altar was Zagreb's bishop Franjo Thauszy, a well-known benefactor of Franz Anton's work.5
The altar was regilded in 1889 by Ioannes (Ivan) August.6 It was repolychromed again in 1986 by the franciscan brother Jeremija Kolednjak (Ins. 2).7
Construction / Execution
The high altar is situated in the chancel of the church, however, its composition has changed due to renovations undertaken in 2001. The overall architectural concept is somewhat conservative, consisting of columns and sculptures that flank a central painting, whereas huge volutes outline the attic with the central opening with rays, clouds and angles' heads surrounding an IHS monogram.8 Given the Franciscan patronage, the sculptures close to the painting portray Saint Francis of Assissi and Saint Anthony of Padua, whereas the sculptures of Saint Joseph and Saint Eliah stand on both ends. According to the inscriptions, it seems that the arrangement of the saintly figures had been changed at some time in the past. There are two large adorning angels sitting on the attic. There is a figure of a deceased Saint Leonard placed in a rocaille-framed sarcophagus in front of predella, which is a rare iconographic theme in Franz Anton's ouvre.
Above the left side opening is a sculpture of Saint Theresa, whereas the sculpture of Saint Elizabeth is currently undergoing conservation works (fumigation). The side openings are now detached from the retable and closed with a new wooden panel.
Components
- Carpentry
- Author: (workshop) Franz Anton Straub
- Completed: 1765 –
- Patron(s): Franciscus Thauszy, bishop
- Technique(s): sawing, wood carving
- Sculpture
- Sculptures of St Theresa, St Elizabeth, St Leonard, St Francis, St Anton of Padua, St Joseph and St Eliah
- Author: (workshop) Franz Anton Straub
- Completed: 1765 –
- Patron(s): Franciscus Thauszy, bishop
- Technique(s): wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Polychromy
- Completed: 1765 – 1780
- Polychromy
- First repolychromy
- Author: Ioannes August
- Completed: 1889
- Polychromy
- Second repolychromy
- Author: Jeremija Kolednjak (Veternica 1915 – Zagreb 2000)
- Completed: 1986
- Material(s): metallic pigment
Comment
Due to very deteriorated condition, the church had been abandonded in 1952 and the church inventory stored in the nearby Franciscan monastery. However, a complete renovation of the church began in 2000 and ended in 2001 (Ins. 3).
On certain positions an earlier polychromy can be observed. The vestment of the franciscan saints along with the postaments were painted dark brown.
Images
- The high altar of St Leonard in Cernik (Croatian Conservation Institute photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- The sculpture of St Theresa (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- The sculpture of St Anthony of Padua (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- The sculpture of adorning angel (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- Cernik, franciscan church, high altar from the church of Saint Leonard in Cernik (Photo by Rudolf Bartolović, 1967)
- Cernik, fransciscan monastery, sculpture of Saint Elizabeth (Photo by Rudolf Bartolović, 1971)
- The sculpture of St Elizabeth (Photo by Irena Pauk Sili, Osijek Department for Conservation, 2019)
Catalogue entry prepared by Martina Ožanić and Ksenija Škarić
Recommended citation: Martina Ožanić and Ksenija Škarić, High Altar in the Church of St Leonard in Cernik, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 27/01/2026) URL
