Location
Austria, Styria, Graz
Parish Church St Andrä (Pfarrkirche St Andrä)
Gries
Artwork
The side and middle sculptures and 15 reliefs of the Rosary Altar in the church of St. Andrä in Graz
Type
Sculptural group
Critical History
The church was built according to plans by Archangelo Carlone between 1616 and 1627.1 It is a three-nave scale-hall church which is flanked by two chapels. The so-called Rosary altar was built between 1740 and 17502 and shows five sculptures in the middle and side zone as well as fifteen reliefs depicting the mysteries of the rosary which were created between 1765 and 1770 by Philipp Jakob Straub. In the centre we see Mary with a crown on her head and a sceptre in her right hand. Her clothing is very voluminous and of detailed drapery and she appears in a stiff position. She is flanked by two Dominican saints (male and female), who are genuflecting on volutes. At the outer edge there are two tonsured saints, standing on consoles. According to Horst Schweigert, these sculptures are attributable to Straub’s late period which was influenced by the classicising figural type of Veit Königer.3 At this time, the Rosary altar in Birkfeld as well as several façade-sculptures of Mary were created by Straub.
In addition, the altar shows 15 medallions in rocaille-cartouches: Four flank the tabernacle, six are directly above and five are situated above Mary and the four putti holding the drapery aside. The rocailles are remarkably plastic and vivacious. The scenes of the mysteries of the rosary are designed as half-reliefs of great detail (especially concerning the figure’s drapery).
Construction / Execution
The sculptures and reliefs are made of carved wood.
Components
- Sculpture
- Author: Philipp Jakob Straub (Wiesensteig 1706 – Graz 1774)
- Completed: 1765 – 1770
- Technique(s): wood carving
- Material(s): wood
- Polychromy
- Completed: 1765 – 1770
- Material(s): gold leaf, red bole
Comment
The sculptures of two female saints on the upper zone (second quarter 18th century) recall the style of Joseph Schokotnigg.4
Images
- The Rosary Altar in the parish church St Andrä in Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
- Dominican male saint (left), Rosary Altar, St Andrä, Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
- Dominican female saint (right), Rosary Altar, St Andrä, Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
- Dominican tonsured saint (far left), Rosary Altar, St Andrä, Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
- Dominican tonsured saint (far right), Rosary Altar, St Andrä, Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
- Relief Annunciation, Rosary Altar, St Andrä, Graz (photo by Anja Lindbichler, 2018)
Catalogue entry prepared by Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst
Recommended citation: Christina Pichler and Dagmar Probst, The side and middle sculptures and 15 reliefs of the Rosary Altar in the church of St. Andrä in Graz , in: TrArS – Tracing the Art of the Straub Family, 2018, (accessed 27/01/2026) URL
