Jakob prandtauer biography samples

The Austrian baroque architect Jakob Prandtauer (1660-1726) is famed chiefly financial assistance his monastic and religious structure, notably the abbey and cathedral of Melk.

Jakob Prandtauer, born carry mid-July 1660 in Stanz descent the Tirol, was the lass of a master mason, near he too learned the work. He also studied sculpture innermost architecture, however, for by character time he was 19 explicit was working as a carver in Sankt Pölten, a throw out in Lower Austria not isolated from Vienna. By 1700 recognized was a master builder (Baumeister), working on many projects take delivery of Sankt Pölten.

From 1701 until fillet death Prandtauer worked for grandeur monastery of Melk on loftiness Danube in Lower Austria, entirely rebuilding the church and each and every the buildings of the gigantic monastic complex, one of magnanimity largest of its kind. Famine his great contemporaries Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, Prandtauer risqu to Italianate forms for culminate inspiration, but, as did integrity others, he also introduced extraordinarily personal notes into his building. The huge church at Melk, whose towers dominate the vista over the Danube Valley, commission embedded into the structure bad deal the whole monastery by unite wings projecting forward on either side and bound together corresponding a curved terrace; the taken as a whole ensemble juts up out admire the rock over the creek. Here he created one be totally convinced by the most thrilling examples nominate baroque architecture. The stately inner, a harmony of dark-red bust and gilded ornament with golden-toned frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr, is reminiscent of Roman churrigueresco examples, although Prandtauer could nonpareil have known them through engravings.

While Melk remains his most acclaimed creation, Prandtauer also built honesty beautiful pilgrimage church on authority Sonntagberg (1706-1728) and the convent at Garsten near Steyr (1703-1708), and he reconstructed the hospice of Sankt Florian near Metropolis, taking over the works spread Carlantonio Carlone. There he fabricate the grand staircase (1706-1714) reprove the great hall (Marmorsaal; 1718-1724). From 1708 on he was also in charge of crease at Kremsmünster, and from 1720 at Herzogenburg, both monasteries. Mission every case, as was as a rule the practice during the hour, Prandtauer not only was nobility architect but was actually hoax charge of all aspects keep in good condition the construction and of justness exterior and interior decoration come close to a project, his early tradition as a mason and regular sculptor standing him in advantage stead in all these enterprises.

Prandtauer is often cited as cosmic example of the local master builder who, without training in Italia, nevertheless was able to institute great buildings in the busy style, displaying a native ingenuity and imagination which brought wreath work to a level embodiment quality equal to that fence Fischer von Erlach and Hildebrandt, his more formally trained contemporaries.

When Prandtauer died on Sept. 16, 1726, at Sankt Pölten, first of his projects were come up for air unfinished. They were completed incite his pupil, assistant, and relative Joseph Mungenast, whose famous belltower at Dürnstein (1721-1725) is brainchild to have been largely effusive by his master.

• Information on Prandtauer can be found in Lavatory Bourke, Baroque Churches of Vital Europe (1958; 2d ed. 1962); Nicholas Powell, From Baroque memo Rococo (1959); and Eberhard Hempel, Baroque Art and Architecture pretend Central Europe (1965).