Artworks Catalogue

Location

Germany, Bavaria, Steingaden

Parish church of St John the Baptist (Pfarrkirche St. Johannes Baptist)

Cath. parish St John Baptist

Artwork

Two memorials for duke Welf IV and his son in St John Baptist, Steingaden

Type

Sculpture

Inscriptions

1. Vuelfo Dux fundavit monasterium istud an 1 1 47 obijt an 1 1 91 in die luciae (cartouche at the front of the console of Dux father)
2. Vuelpho Filius eius in italia peste interijt an 11 67 sed hic ossa eius translata et reposita (cartouche at the front of the console of Dux son)
3. M . II. AS Memorial of Welf IV Coat of arms right edge
4. A°MDCCL memorial of Welf VII coat of arms left edge

Critical History

Lippert lists the memorials under "Steinbach" no. 56.1 Volk dates them in 1747. He presumes that the abbey Marian II. Mayr gave in 1747 (600 anniversary of the foundation of the Praemonstratenser monastery) the order to remove the tomb from the church and replace it with the memorial stones or kenotaphs. The form of the reliefs refers probably to the tomb of 1528.2

The memorials are applied on two opposite pillars of the nave. Their basic form consists of a curved frame with a relief and a console with a cartouche where is written who is the above presented person. The decoration is flipped vertically. A putto is keeping a curtain in his hand and lifting the other hand. In one corner of the frame the coat of arms is presented. The duke and his son are dressed in full armour. The form of the armament looks like those of the beginning 16th century. Welf VI holds in his hand a model of the church St John Baptist whereas his son holds a model of the complete monastery. Above both persons St John Baptist is floating in the sky.

Construction / Execution

Volk states that the epitaphs consist of stone an a gilded lead-cast for the reliefs and the decoration.2

Components

Sculpture

Two memorials for duke Welf IV and his son in St John Baptist Steingaden

Author: Johann Baptist Straub (Wiesensteig ca. 1704 – Munich 1784)

Completed: 1750

Technique(s): stone carving

Material(s): stone

Metalwork

Two memorials for duke Welf IV and his son in St John Baptist Steingaden

Author: (?) Johann Baptist Straub

Completed: 1750

Technique(s): casting, oil gilding

Comment

At the coat of arms there is an inscription A°MDCCL 1750. That means that Straub finished the work not in 1747 but in 1750.

Images

1. The memorials for Welf IV and his son in the parishchurch St John Baptist view to the highaltar photo Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 11.2017
2. The memorial for Welf IV in the parishchurch St John Baptist, Steingaden photo Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 11.2017
3. The memorial for Welf VII in the parishchurch St John Baptist, Steingaden photo Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites Michael Forstner 11.2017
4. The memorial Welf IV in the parishchurch St John Baptist, Steingaden, detail coat of arms left edge date photo University of Vienna Julia Strobl 06_2018
5. The memorial for Welf IV in the parishchurch St John Baptist, Steingaden photo University of Vienna Julia Strobl 06_2018
6. The memorial for Welf IV in the parishchurch St John Baptist, Steingaden photo University of Vienna Julia Strobl 06_2018