Location
Croatia, City of Zagreb, Čučerje
Parish Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Župna crkva Pohoda Marijina)
Artwork
The left side altar of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Čučerje
Type
Side altar
Dimensions
Height: 655 cm, width: 334 cm, depth: 69 cm
Critical History
The altar was first mentioned in the text of the Canonical visitations in 1765.1 Doris Baričević in 1992–1993 noted it was erected in 1762 and attributed the altar and sculptures to Franz Anton Straub, commenting that it was similar to the right side altar of St Anne but simpler and more modest. She emphasized the motif of the opening above the entablature and compared it to the similar motifs found in Karlovac Banija, Brezovica, Kloštar Ivanić and Ludina.2 In 2001 Baričević again noted the altar was made in the same workshop as its counterpart on the right side, but commented that sculptures of St Francis Xavier and St Francis of Assisi were rougher and lacked the same sophisticated beauty as St Catherine and St Elizabeth of Thuringia. Based on the stylistic analysis she concluded they were close to the works of Franz Anton Straub or one of his contemporaries more inclined to the gentle forms of rococo.3
Construction / Execution
The side altar covers the entire rear wall of the left side nave. As opposed to its right counterpart, this altar has architectural columns and a more conservative architectural scheme.
Components
- Carpentry
- Author: (workshop) Franz Anton Straub
- Completed: 1762
- Patron(s): Joseph Wuger, head of bishop's estate
- Technique(s): sawing, wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Sculpture
- Author: (workshop) Franz Anton Straub
- Completed: 1762
- Patron(s): Joseph Wuger, head of bishop's estate
- Technique(s): wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Painting
- Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
- Completed: 1762
- Technique(s): oil on canvas
- Painting
- Saint Joachim
- Completed: 1762
- Technique(s): oil on canvas
- Polychromy
- Completed: 1765
- Technique(s): oil gilding, water gilding
- Material(s): gold leaf, silver leaf
- Polychromy
- Repolychromy
- Author: Franjo Bašić
- Completed: 1885
- Patron(s): owner, parish
- Technique(s): stencil ornamentation
- Polychromy
- Partial repolychromy
- Author: Franjo Mrnjec
- Completed: 1997
- Technique(s): oil gilding, water gilding
- Material(s): gold leaf
Comment
The altar was repolychromed in 1885 by Franjo Bašić from Zagreb.4 Repolychromy is not visible after the recent renovation in 1997, which restored the polychromy from 1765, but also overpainted many surfaces.
Conservation-restoration
- 1997
Strategy: removing dirt, removing one or several historic repolychromies, removing partial repairs, removing patina, removing varnish
Approach to the presentation of losses
Reintegration of lacunae – mimetic: total
Reconstruction of losses: total
Repolychroming: total
Materials: gold leaf, silver leaf
Treatment Description
The entire altar was fully renovated by 1997 by Franjo Mrnjec, a private restorer, which was entirely sponsored by the Parish church and its parishioners.
Images
- The altar of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Čučerje (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
- The sculpture of angel (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
- The sculpture of angel (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
- The altar of St Francis Xavier (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
- The sculpture of St Francis of Assisi (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
- The altar of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, detail (Croatian Conservation Institute Photo Archive, photo by Goran Tomljenović, 2017)
Catalogue entry prepared by Martina Ožanić and Ksenija Škarić
Recommended citation: Martina Ožanić and Ksenija Škarić, The left side altar of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Čučerje, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 19/05/2026) URL
