Location
Austria, Styria, Graz
Cathedral St Aegydius (Dom Hl Ägydius)
Innere Stadt
Artwork
The altar of St John of Nepomuk in the Cathedral of Graz
Type
Side altar
Inscriptions
- CAECILIA de WENCK NOBILIS ab HARRUCKERIN F. F. MDCCXLIV (on the altar mensa)
Critical History
The altar of St John of Nepomuk was made by stonemason Joseph Schwath, while Philipp Jakob Straub created the sculptural decoration in 1744, which is documentary mentioned.1 He had to submit different sketches and models before he received the order to create this altar as well as those of St Aloysius.2 The high altarpiece depicting St John of Nepomuk 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.3 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, two 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; the upper one appears to be rotated by 90 degrees.
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.4
Components
- Masonry
- Author: Joseph Schwath
- Completed: 1744
- Patron(s): Caecilia von Wenck, noble
- Technique(s): stone carving
- Material(s): parian marble
- Sculpture
- Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)
- Completed: 1744
- Technique(s): stone carving
- Material(s): marble
Comment
Straub received 8 fl 24 kr for his work on the altar of St John of Nepomuk and the altar of St Aloyisus; for his work on the angels and putti he got 700 fl.5
Conservation-restoration
- 1963
Treatment Description
The altar was restored in 1963.6
Images
- The altar of St John of Nepomuk in the Cathedral of Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Angel (left), altar of St John of Nepomuk, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Angel (right), altar of St John of Nepomuk, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Putto on entablature (left), altar of St John of Nepomuk, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Putto on entablature (right), altar of St John of Nepomuk, Cathedral Graz (photo by Diocesan Museum Graz, 2014)
- Cloudscape with winged putto-heads, altar of St John of Nepomuk, 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 John of Nepomuk in the Cathedral of Graz, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 20/11/2025) URL
