The sculptural group of Christ encountering his mother in a chapel at the Calvary of St Radegund near Graz
Type
Sculptural group
Critical History
The Calvary of St Radegund was laid out in terrace-form and shows station-chapels of different size. Some of them contain stone sculptures made by the workshop of Philipp Jakob Straub, others show wooden works of the same time.1 Some of the sculptural decoration was made after 1834 by artist Matthias Rath.2
The sculptural group of Christ encountering his mother shows similarities to Straub’s oeuvre, although the sculpture’s execution appears very bulky compared to the artist’s other works. That may refer to a workshop-participation. What speak for Straub are the typical physiognomy as well as the bowl-shaped fold on Mary’s right side. Her eyes rest on the cross; her hands are crossed in front of her chest. The body composition on Jesus is remarkable because of his bent knees, what creates a massive impression.
Construction / Execution
The sculptures are made of carved sandstone and they are worked in three dimensions. The colouring is in a bad condition.
Components
Sculpture
Author: (workshop) Philipp Jakob Straub
Completed: 1750 – 1775
Technique(s): stone carving
Material(s): sandstone
Polychromy
Completed: 1750 – 1775
Images
The sculptural group Christ encountering his mother Mary, chapel, Calvary St Radegund (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Christ encountering his mother Mary, detail, chapel, Calvary St Radegund (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Christ encountering his mother Mary, detail, chapel, Calvary St Radegund (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Catalogue entry prepared by Eva Klein and Christina Pichler
Recommended citation: Eva Klein and Christina Pichler, The sculptural group of Christ encountering his mother in a chapel at the Calvary of St Radegund near Graz, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 26/01/2026) URL
