Location
Croatia, Zagreb County, Kloštar Ivanić
Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Župna crkva Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije)
Kloštar Ivanić
Artwork
Left Side Altar of St Joseph in the Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kloštar Ivanić
Type
Side altar
Dimensions
Height: 425 cm, width: 300 cm, depth: 60 cm
Inscriptions
- Sv. / josipe / moli za nas! (in a cartouche above the painting until 2004; the cartouche is now on the altar of St George, but the text was removed during restoration.)
- Renovatum /18 est 56 (in a cartouche on the altar of St George until 2004 then moved to the altar of St Joseph, the letters have been overpainted)
- Sv. JEROLIM (on the base of the sculpture of St Jerome until 2004 when the repolychromy was removed)
- Sv. GRGUR (on the base of the sculpture of St Gregory the Pope until 2004 when it was removed.)
Critical History
The left side altar of St Joseph was first mentioned as a new work of art created under the patronage of Joseph Dellimanich during his canonical visitation in 1761.1 The polychromy was carried out in the same year as that on the side altar of St George (the year 1762 is inscribed on the altar). The main concept of the retable is equivalent to that of the side altars in Vugrovec; the sculpture of St Jerome follows the identical design as the one in Vugrovec and is even of approximately the same size. The art historian Doris Baričević attributed the sculptures to Franz Anton Straub based on stylistic resemblances to works by his brothers.2 The painting of St Joseph dates to 1862 and had been commissioned from the painter Johann Beyer in Graz,3 but it was mostly overpainted by Petar Rutar in 1903.4 The parish chronicle identifies the painting in the attic as a depiction of St Margaret, whereas Paškal Cvekan mentioned it as St Helena,5 and Doris Baričević as St Juliana.6 In 2002, behind the painting of St Joseph, a severely damaged fragment of St Zechariah’s statue was found (a head and a bust), bearing the characteristics of an 18th century sculpture, but different from Straub’s style. The repolychromy from 1856 was attributed to Casparus (Gasparus) Milauz based on the resemblance to the work he carried out on other altars.7 The author of the repolychromy from 1903, Petar Rutar, was mentioned in the parish chronicle. He also painted the new painting for the attic and repainted the painting of St Joseph. 8 The renovation in 1903 was commissioned by the High Royal Land Government, Department of Religion and Education.9
Construction / Execution
The side altar is situated on the left side of the triumphal arch and is identical to the side altar of St George on the right. The altar architecture is somewhat conventional, with pairs of columns and pilasters flanking the central painting, together with sculptures of Pope Saint Gregory I on the left and of Saint Jerome on the right. Ornamental volutes, which outline the attic, are decorated with large rocaille motifs and surrounded by ornamental vases and small putti.
The rear side of the predella is open. The construction is simple, without tongues and grooves, joined by forged nails. The retable is secured with a board held by nails. The rays of the aureole are also fixed by means of nails. The back sides of the sculptures are gouged out with a wide tool. During the 19th century renovation, the damaged statute of St Zechariah was used as a structural support.
Components
- Carpentry
- Author: Franz Anton Straub (Wiesensteig 1726 – Zagreb ca. 1774)
- Completed: 1761
- Patron(s): Josip Delimanić, diocesan prefect
- Technique(s): sawing, wood carving
- Material(s): softwood, wrought nails
- Sculpture
- Author: Franz Anton Straub (Wiesensteig 1726 – Zagreb ca. 1774)
- Completed: 1761
- Patron(s): Josip Delimanić, diocesan prefect
- Technique(s): wood carving
- Material(s): limewood
- Painting
- St Joseph
- Author: Johann Beyer (Sanerwitz 1804 – Graz 1876)
- Completed: 1862
- Technique(s): oil on canvas
- Material(s): linseed oil
- Painting
- St Margaret
- Author: Petar Rutar (Cerkno pri Idriji 1856 – Osilnica 1948)
- Completed: 1903
- Patron(s): High Royal Land Government, Department of Religion and Education, government
- Technique(s): oil on canvas
- Polychromy
- Completed: 1762
- Patron(s): Josip Delimanić, diocesan prefect
- Technique(s): oil gilding, tempera, water gilding
- Material(s): gold leaf, red bole, silver leaf, yellow bole
- Polychromy
- First repolychromy
- Author: Caspar Milavc
- Completed: 1856
- Polychromy
- Second repolychromy
- Author: Petar Rutar (Cerkno pri Idriji 1856 – Osilnica 1948)
- Completed: 1903 – 1903
- Patron(s): High Royal Land Government, Department of Religion and Education, government
- Technique(s): oil, oil gilding, stencil ornamentation, water gilding
- Material(s): aluminium leaf, brass leaf, gold leaf, silver powder
Comment
The sculptures are carved in limewood.10 Repolychromies from 1856 (Ins. 2) and 1903 (Fig. 2) are no longer preserved. The restored polychromy from 1762 is visible. During the restoration, an inscription was found on the board used in the course of the renovation indicating that leaves from a Viennese smithy were probably used.11 The green marbling of the frame of the St Joseph painting was painted on a silvered surface. The large sticks originate from the 1993–2006 restoration.
Conservation-restoration
- 1993–2006
Strategy: removing dirt, removing one or several historic repolychromies, removing patina, removing varnish
Approach to the presentation of losses
Reintegration of lacunae – mimetic: total
Reconstruction of losses: total
Materials: gold leaf, limewood, silver leaf, textile rope
Treatment Description
In 1991, due to the Homeland War, the paintings and sculptures as well as some ornaments were dismantled and deposited in the Holy Sepulchre under the bell tower where, in the coming years, they deteriorated because of high humidity. Several parts had been restored in 1993–1997 in the Conservation Institute of Croatia, and on other parts conservation-restoration works were carried out in the Croatian Conservation Institute from 2004 to 2006. The treatment included the removal of both repolychromies and exposing the 18th century polychromy. A braided rope was used for new tassels on the statue of St Jerome. The cartouche above the painting was transferred from the altar of St George, because it originally belonged to it. The inscription was overpainted. The conservation works were led by Vesna Šimičić and Iva Koci. 12 The painting of St Joseph was restored by Vjeran Potočić in 2004.
- future
Strategy: removing dirt
Images
- Side altar of Saint Joseph (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- Side altar of St Joseph, 2001 (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive)
- Sculpture of Pope Saint Gregory I (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
- Sculpture of Saint Jerome (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2018)
Catalogue entry prepared by Ksenija Škarić and Martina Ožanić
Recommended citation: Ksenija Škarić and Martina Ožanić, Left Side Altar of St Joseph in the Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kloštar Ivanić, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 19/10/2025) URL
