Location
Austria, Styria, Graz
Cathedral St Aegydius (Dom Hl Ägydius)
Innere Stadt
Artwork
The altar of St Aloysius in the Cathedral of Graz
Type
Side altar
Critical History
The side altar of St Aloysius was made by stonemason Joseph Schwath, while the sculptural decoration was created by Philipp Jakob Straub in 1745 (documentary mentioned).1 The high altarpiece depicting St Aloysius is flanked by two marble angels standing highly moved in classical contrapost. According to Horst Schweigert, these sculptures are attributable to Philipp Jakob Straub’s expressive middle period: The statues are more cabled and the standing motif is more unstable.2 Head and upper body are highly moved and leant towards the widely flared free leg. Due to bouffant drapery of the coat, effective silhouettes are caused.
In the upper zone, four putti are sitting/genuflecting; they are very vivacious and show bulging eyes, which are typical for Straub’s oeuvre. The altar is crowned by a triangular-shaped cloudscape with three winged putto-heads, which appear very spatial because of their staggered arrangement.
Construction / Execution
The stonework was done by Joseph Schwath, while the decorative metalwork was made by Andreas Steiger. The antependium is decorated with inlaid works made by Joseph Schwath.3
Components
- Masonry
- Author: Joseph Schwath
- Completed: 1745
- Patron(s): Josef Margschwentner, noble
- Technique(s): stone carving
- Material(s): parian marble
- Sculpture
- Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)
- Completed: 1745
- Technique(s): stone carving
- Material(s): marble
Comment
Straub received 8 fl 24 kr for his work on the altar of St Aloysius and for those of St John of Nepomuk; for his work on the angels and putti he got 700 fl.4
Images
- The altar of St Aloysius in the Cathedral of Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Angel (left), altar of St Aloysius, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Angel (right), altar of St Aloysius, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Putto on console (left), altar of St Aloysius, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Putto on entablature (right), altar of St Aloysius, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Cloudscape with winged putto-heads, altar of St Aloysius, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
Catalogue entry prepared by Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst
Recommended citation: Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst, The altar of St Aloysius in the Cathedral of Graz, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 20/11/2025) URL
