Artworks Catalogue

Location

Austria, Styria, Graz

Alte Galerie, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Inv.-Nr. P 337, not exhibited

Original location:

Austria, Styria, St. Radegund bei Graz

Artwork

The Sculpture of St John of Nepomuk, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Alte Galerie, Inv.-Nr. P 337

Type

Sculpture

Dimensions

Height: 83 cm, width: 40,5 cm, depth: 21 cm

Critical History

The sculpture was bought at the same time as St Sebastian and St Francis Xavier with an altar 1913 from St Radegund.

Wilhelm Suida1 published the sculptures (Styrian, 18^th cent.), Kurt Woisetschläger2 dated them about 1750. First attribution to Philipp Jakob Straub is hereby done by Christine Rabensteiner, who dates them circa 1740–1750.

The sculpture was situated on the left side of St Sebastian on the left side of the altar. The holy man is moving like the other two. The physiognomy and the slim body is like the usual characteristics of the saint in the 18^th century. He looks to the cross in his left hand, which is now missing.

Construction / Execution

Three-dimensional, limewood, with limewood additions (three on the left side, two on the right side), polychromed with some local restorations

On the bottom of the plinth the sculpture shows exactly the same clamping hole as the sculptures of St Sebastian, Inv.-Nr. P 336 and St Francis Xavier, Inv.-Nr. P 186. This means all three sculptures were made on the same construction unit.

The hands of the sculpture were done seperately. The cross, which was hold in the left hand, is missing.

In general: Woodworm infestation inactive

Components

Sculpture

Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)

Completed: 1740 – 1750

Technique(s): wood carving

Material(s): limewood

Polychromy

Completed: 1740 – 1750

Material(s): red bole

Conservation-restoration

1970

Treatment Description

Historical reparations:

Originally the skin colour was executed with oil colours. These were overpainted around 1970.

Silver: reduced partially with sanding paper, around 1970. Gilding: new gilding over the original gilding around 1970. Fillings with calcium carbonate with proteinous binding media, and a layer red bolus. Completely new.

The new gilding on the garment was executed over red bolus and polished with achate. Perhaps the matte water gilding on the lace was polished with achate, when overgilded new. All Krapplack lustre parts are new (around 1970).

Images

1. The sculpture of St John of Nepomuk, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Alte Galerie (photo by Nicolas Lackner, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz, 2018)
2. The sculpture of St John of Nepomuk, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Alte Galerie (photo by Nicolas Lackner, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz, 2018)
3. The sculpture of St John of Nepomuk, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Alte Galerie (photo by Nicolas Lackner, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz, 2018)