The sculpture of St John of Nepomuk next to the side entrance of the parish church in Kumberg
Type
Sculpture
Dimensions
Height: 126 cm, width: 63 cm, depth: 32 cm
Critical History
The sculpture is an early creation of Philipp Jakob Straub and shows the characteristics of his personal style: accurate composition of the body, clothing and physiognomy, expansive gesture as well as forward movement of the free leg.1 The saint is smiling softly which supports his calm and candid nature, which is comparable to Straub’s Nepomuk at Graz Calvary (1734). Also common to both sculptures is the expressive play of the hands/fingers.
Construction / Execution
The sculpture is made of carved sandstone.
Components
Sculpture
Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)
Completed: 1735 – 1740
Technique(s): stone carving
Material(s): sandstone
Comment
The sculpture is situated on a younger pedestal with the inscription “Heil /Johannes / bitt für uns!”.
Images
The statue of St John of Nepomuk, parish church, Kumberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
St John of Nepomuk, Detail, parish church, Kumberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Pedestal, Detail, St John of Nepomuk, parish church, Kumberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Lace at the hem, Detail, St John of Nepomuk, parish church, Kumberg (photo by Christina Pichler, 2018)
Catalogue entry prepared by Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst
Recommended citation: Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst, The sculpture of St John of Nepomuk next to the side entrance of the parish church in Kumberg, in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 25/01/2026) URL
Sources and Bibliography
Horst Schweigert, Philipp Jakob Straub (1706–1774). Ein Grazer Barockbildhauer, in: Studien zur Kunstgeschichte Steiermarks, Horst Schweigert (ed.), Kumberg, Sublilium Schaffer Verlag, 1992, 309–329
