Location
Germany, Bavaria, Schäftlarn
Monastery Church of St Dionysius and St Juliana (Klosterkirche St. Dionys und Juliana)
Monastery of the Benedictins, Schäftlarn
Artwork
The Large Rosary Side Altar in the the Monastery Church of St Dionysius and St Juliana in Schäftlarn
Type
Side altar
Dimensions
Height: 1090 cm, width: 675 cm
Critical History
There are four small side altars and two large side altars. These are the Rosary- or Lady's altar and the Holy Cross altar.
The Rosary altar is equipped with the canvas towel painting by B. A. Albrecht (1764) showing the scene when John of Austria announces to Pope Pius V, in 1571, the victory in the Battle of Lepanto. The sculptures of St Dominic and St Therese stand on both sides of the painting. A glass shrine with the relic of St Vincent is presented above the mensa. 1
Construction / Execution
The altar is constructed in wood. The sculptures are carved in wood and have a monochrome white polychromy with partial polychrome gilding imitating stone or marble. The architecture has a polychromy imitating marble.
Components
- Carpentry
- Completed: 1756 – 1765
- Technique(s): sawing, wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Sculpture
- Author: Johann Baptist Straub (Wiesensteig ca. 1704 – Munich 1784)
- Completed: 1756 – 1765
- Material(s): wood
- Polychromy
- Author: Aloys Thurner
- Completed: 1776 – 1780
- Technique(s): oily tempera, polished white, water gilding
- Material(s): gold leaf, lead white
Conservation-restoration
- 1880
Approach to the presentation of losses
Repolychroming: total
Treatment Description
In 1880, "Johan Georg Huber" overpainted the architecture. The white monochrome painting layer of the sculptures was overpainted white and polished. The gilded areas were kept.
- 1924
Treatment Description
In 1924, the Radspieler Company, Munich, executed small repairs.
- 1954
Strategy: removing one or several historic repolychromies
Approach to the presentation of losses
Repolychroming: partial
Treatment Description
In 1954, the marbling from 1880 on the architecture was removed together with the original lacquer. The poliment gilding of the large side altars was partially replaced by a new one. The sculptures were overpainted with a monochrome white layer and polished. On the original marbling a new varnish (resin) and wax were applied.
- 2008–2010
Treatment Description
From 2008 to 2010 the Fromm company, Parsberg restored all the polychromed furnishings. The concept was to preserve as far as possible the historical condition. The painting layers were consolidated, the surface was cleaned, inconvenient overpaintings were removed. Some areas closer to the spectator were overpainted (e. g. polished white). In some areas the wood had to be consolidated. Lackings were filled and retouched. The original lacquer on the marbling was reconstructed.
Images
- The Rosary altar in the Monastery Chuch of St Dionysius and Juliana, Schäftlarn (Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites, photo by Michel Forstner, 2017)
Catalogue entry prepared by Rupert Karbacher
Recommended citation: Rupert Karbacher, The Large Rosary Side Altar in the the Monastery Church of St Dionysius and St Juliana in Schäftlarn, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 26/10/2025) URL
