Location
Germany, Bavaria, Munich
Former Parish Church of St George (ehem. Pfarrkirche St. Georg)
Catholic parish of Heilig Blut Munich
Artwork
High Altar in the Former Parish Church of St George in Munich-Bogenhausen
Type
High altar
Critical History
J. B. Straub created the high altar with St Georg riding on a horse and killing the dragon between 1770 and 1773. He signed the contract of Duke August von Törring-Jettenbach whose property "Köglhof " was nearby to the church and Straub was signed the 14.05.1770 the last payment the artist received the 15.05.1773. The riders fight is presented in the center of an open architecture which looks more like a a theaters stage than a highaltar. Godfather and his son are sitting on top of the architecture. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove forms the center of a large gloriole. The sculptures of St Donatus and St Irene are standing above two passages left and right of the highaltar. Putti and heads of puttis with wings are pointing to the heroic deed of S. Georg. 1 Lippert gives this work no. 19.2
Construction / Execution
The entire altar was made in wood and has a polychrome layer with gilding and silver and coloured glazes.
Components
- Carpentry
- The highaltar in the former parishchurch of St Georg in Munich Bogenhausen
- Completed: 1770 – 1773
- Patron(s): August von Törring-Jettenbach, noble
- Technique(s): sawing, wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Sculpture
- The highaltar in the former parishchurch of St Georg in Munich Bogenhausen
- Author: Johann Baptist Straub (Wiesensteig ca. 1704 – Munich 1784)
- Completed: 1770 – 1773
- Patron(s): August von Törring-Jettenbach, noble
- Technique(s): wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Polychromy
- The highaltar in the former parishchurch of St Georg in Munich Bogenhausen
- Completed: 1770 – 1773
- Patron(s): August von Törring-Jettenbach, noble
- Technique(s): oily tempera, water gilding
Comment
Compared with the high altar of St Georg in Bichl, which was made by the same artist in 1752, the scene of the later work seems to be much less vivid.
There was a research and documentation of of the archives by Dr. Stefan Nadler and Maria Hildebrandt M.A. in 1996.
Conservation-restoration
- 1866
Treatment Description
Cleaning and repears of the equipment by Matthias Gebhart. Cleaning and partial overpainting. White painting layer on the pulpit.
- 1887
Treatment Description
Reparations of the monument and restoration inside. Responsible were the painter of Courtrooms August Schulze and the gilder Karl Reisba. Wallpapers were removed (installed in 1831/32 on the espalier-walls made by wood/oak). The confessionals, the doors and the balustrade of the organ were "brunoliert" (maseriert?) lines of gold were added. New floor panels of "Solnhofer-stone" were installed. The altars were overpainted with a marble imitation and partially overgilded. Most of the sculptures were overpainted. The pulpit was overpainted with a marble-imitation.
- 1940
Treatment Description
Complete renovation. Cleaning of surfaces taking off younger overpaintings to the original polychromy.
- 1942
Treatment Description
Storing of sculptures outside of Munich for safety reasons during wartime.
- 1949
Treatment Description
Provisional installation of the highaltar.
- 1950
Treatment Description
Complete renovation.
- 1969
Treatment Description
Complete restoration. Overpainting of the tabernacle and the organ in white following the monochrome white of the pulpit.
- 1996
Treatment Description
The sculptures were restored in the workshop of the restoration company. After fixing thepolychrome layer rests of younger overpaintings were removed. Again the original painting layer was the aim of the restoration (like . The colored glazes were reconstructed.
Images
- The highaltar of St Georg in the former parishchurch St Georg, Munich-Bogenhausen photo Bavarian Office of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 08.2017
- The highaltar of St Georg in the former parishchurch St Georg, Munich-Bogenhausen photo Bavarian Office of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 08.2017
- The sculpture of St Donatus at the highaltar of St Georg in the former parishchurch St Georg, Munich-Bogenhausen photo Bavarian Office of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 08.2017
- The sculpture of St Irene at the highaltar of St Georg in the former parishchurch St Georg, Munich-Bogenhausen photo Bavarian Office of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 08.2017
Catalogue entry prepared by Rupert Karbacher
Recommended citation: Rupert Karbacher, High Altar in the Former Parish Church of St George in Munich-Bogenhausen, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 18/11/2025) URL
