Artworks Catalogue

The high altar in the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul, old photograph (source of the photo: Ministry of Culture, Cultural Hertiage Directorate, INDOK Centre)
The sculptures above the altar in the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
Back side of the sculptures (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
The sculpture of God the Father from the upper part of the altar (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
The sculpture of angel from the tabernacle of the altar (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)

Location

Slovenia, Ptuj

Artwork

Sculptures from the high altar of the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul in Ptuj

Type

High altar

Dimensions

Height: 220 cm, width: 95 cm

Inscriptions

  1. Hoc altare erectum noviter fuit ano 1751m postquam a quindecim antea annis pro eodem erigendo 1500 florenos perillustris Dominus Franc Xaver Qualandro legavit. Laus Deo, fundatori gratia et requis sempiterra. Renovatum 1859. (on the back side of the altar)
  2. Sv. Ludvik (on the base of the sculpture)
  3. Sv. Frančišek (on the base of the sculpture)
  4. Sv. Anton (on the base of the sculpture)
  5. Sv. Bonaventura (on the base of the sculpture)

Critical History

The high altar of the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul was mentioned for the first time in the chronicle of the minorite monastery and church written by Ludvik Pečko,1 who transcribed the inscription, now lost, on the back side of the altar (Ins. 1). It mentions 1751 as the date of execution, as well as the donation of Franc Xaver Qualandro in the sum of 1500 fl. payed 15 years before for the erection of the altar. The inscription also stated that the altar was renovated in 1859. Later the high altar was mentioned by Mirko Godina and was discussed as the work of Joseph Straub by Sergej Vrišer.2

The high altar (as well as the church and the monastery) was demolished in the bombing in 1945. Before the demolition, France Stele took some photographs during the restoration works in the church. The preserved photographs allow us to determine the original appearance of the altar. We can see that the altar had a massive architecture with three pairs of columns on each side of the altar`s painting depicting St Peter and St Paul. Between the columns, there were four (more than life size) sculptures of four franciscan saints (St Louis of Toulouse, St Francis of Assisi, St Anthony of Padua, St Bonaventure) and two putti. In the upper part was a niche with a medieval statue of Virgin Mary with a child, which was recarved by Joseph Straub and then placed on the high altar. In the upper part there were two pairs of larger kneeling angels while above the columns and on the very top of the altar, there was a sculpture of lying God the Father with a globe and a dove of the Holy Spirit. There were many smaller angels and angel heads in the upper part as well – representing heavenly glory. We should also point out eight reliefs, which were fixed on the basis of the columns and depicted the scenes from the life of St Peter and St Paul (from left to right): the Crucifixion of St Peter, the Liberation of St Peter, St Peter healing a man, St Peter fishing, the Conversion of St Paul, the meeting of St Peter and St Paul, the stoning of St Paul and the beheading of St Paul. The altar had a tabernacle with two angels kneeling on the volutes and four small putti. All four sculptures of saints of the minorite order survived and were placed on the high pedestals above the main altar (together with the copy of the statue of St Mary) after the restoration by Viktor Gojkovič in 2005. The sculptures of putti, which were saved, are on display in the chapel of St Anthony of Padua in the church. There is also a fragment of the altar`s architecture saved, where layers of polychromies are well seen.

Construction / Execution

The sculptures are made of wood. Polychromy is imitating white marble. The back sides of the sculptures are partially finished and have smoothen surface with the opening in the back, now covered with linen.

Components

Carpentry
Carpentry
Author: Franz Leeb
Sculpture
Sculpture
Author: Joseph Straub (Wiesensteig 1712 – Maribor 1756)
Patron(s): minorite, religious order
Technique(s): wood carving
Material(s): limewood
Polychromy
Polychromy
Author: Dominicus Cagoni
Technique(s): polished white
Material(s): calcium carbonate, lead white, size
Polychromy
Repolychromy
Author: Viktor Gojkovič

Comment

The sculptures were restored by restorer Viktor Gojkovič.

Images

  1. The high altar in the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul, old photograph (source of the photo: Ministry of Culture, Cultural Hertiage Directorate, INDOK Centre)
  2. The sculptures above the altar in the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
  3. Back side of the sculptures (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
  4. The sculpture of God the Father from the upper part of the altar (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)
  5. The sculpture of angel from the tabernacle of the altar (Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, photo by Valentin Benedik, 2018)

Catalogue entry prepared by Valentina Pavlič and Saša Dolinšek

Recommended citation: Valentina Pavlič and Saša Dolinšek, Sculptures from the high altar of the minorite Church of St Peter and Paul in Ptuj, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 19/11/2025) URL

Sources and Bibliography

  1. The Historical Archive Ptuj , Ludvik Pečko, Geschichte des Minoritenklosters und von der Pfarre St. Peter u. Paul zu Pettau, SI ZAP 70, R-32, 1861, URL
  2. Mirko Godina, Samostan sv. Petra in Pavla na Ptuju, in: Pax et bonum: spominski listi posvečeni sedemstoletnici minoritskega samostana v Ptuju, Ptuj, Minoritski samostan, 1939, 107–115
  3. Sergej Vrišer, Mariborski baročni kiparji, in: Zbornik za umetnostno zgodovino, n. v. IV, 1957, 71–127
  4. Sergej Vrišer, Baročno kiparstvo na slovenskem Štajerskem, Maribor, Obzorja, 1963
  5. Sergej Vrišer, Doneski k baročni podobi minoritske cerkve v Ptuju, in: Ptujski zbornik, 5, 1985, 339–344
  6. Sergej Vrišer, Baročna podoba cerkve sv. Petra in Pavla, Minoritski samostan na Ptuju: 1239–1989, Ptuj [i. e.], Celje, Mohorjeva družba, 1989, 295–307
  7. Sergej Vrišer, Baročno kiparstvo na slovenskem Štajerskem, Ljubljana, Slovenska matica, 1992
  8. Amadeja Pernat, Baročna oprema minoritske cerkve, in: Minoritska zbirka. Del 1, Ostanki srednjeveškega slikarstva in kiparstva ter baročne oltarne plastike iz prvotne minoritske cerkve sv. Petra in Pavla, Ptuj, Pokrajinski muzej Ptuj – Ormož, 2014

Notes

1 Ludvik Pečko, 1861, 324–325

2 Mirko Godina, 1939, 110; Sergej Vrišer, 1957, 88–89; Sergej Vrišer, 1963, 89, 168; Sergej Vrišer, 1985, 341–342; Sergej Vrišer, 1989, 298–301; Sergej Vrišer, 1992, 123–124, 235

The TrArS project is dedicated to the study and presentation of artworks created by members of the Straub family in 18th century Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. This website is being updated regularly and reflects the current state of the ongoing research.

Project Management Office

Ksenija Škarić, project manager
Croatian Conservation Institute

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