Pilgrimage church Maria Lebing (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Lebing)
Maria Lebing
Artwork
The left side altar on the place of the former triumphal arch in the pilgrimage church Maria Lebing
Type
Side altar
Critical History
In the place of the former triumphal arch, two side altars were erected in 1744/45.1 The northern one is dedicated to St Stephen and shows the sculptures of St Francis Xavier and St Anthony of Padua. The former is shown in a reduced contrapost with one hand raised to his chest, while the other holds a simple cross. His big, bulging eyes are directed towards heaven. St Anthony is characterised by the mannered posture of his left hand and the more pronounced contrapost. They appear very calm and not that expressive as it is typical for Straub’s middle period (very expressive and vivacious sculptures concerning their gesture, clothing and physiognomy).2 The angels on the entablature are more dynamic and typical for the artist’s oeuvre: wide-spread wings, bouffant cloak that only covers the lower body and expressive postures.
Construction / Execution
The sculptures are made of carved and coloured wood.
Components
Carpentry
Completed: 1744 – 1745
Technique(s): sawing
Material(s): wood
Sculpture
Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)
Completed: 1744 – 1745
Technique(s): wood carving
Material(s): wood
Polychromy
Completed: 1744 – 1745
Material(s): gold leaf, red bole
Images
The left side altar of the pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
The sculpture of St Francis Xavier, pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
St Francis Xavier, detail, pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
The sculpture of St Anthony of Padua, pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Angel on the entablature (left), pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Angel on the entablature (right), pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, Hartberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Catalogue entry prepared by Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst
Recommended citation: Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst, The left side altar on the place of the former triumphal arch in the pilgrimage church Maria Lebing, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 14/11/2025) URL
Sources and Bibliography
Christliche Kunststätten Österreichs, Wallfahrtskirche Maria Lebing in Hartberg, Nr. 246, Salzburg, Verlag St Peter, 1994
Horst Schweigert, Philipp Jakob Straub (1706–1774). Ein Grazer Barockbildhauer, in: Studien zur Kunstgeschichte Steiermarks, Horst Schweigert (ed.), Kumberg, Sublilium Schaffer Verlag, 1992, 309–329
