Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (20 July 1656 – 5 April 1723) was an Austrian architect, sculptor, engraver, and architectural historian whose
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means ...
profoundly influenced and shaped the tastes of the
Habsburg Empire.
His influential book ''A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture'' (1721) was one of the first and most popular comparative studies of world architecture. His major works include
Schönbrunn Palace,
Karlskirche, and the
Austrian National Library in
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, and
Schloss Klessheim,
Holy Trinity Church, and the
Kollegienkirche in
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
.
Early life
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was born in
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popula ...
and baptized in the parish church of Heiligen Blut on 20 July 1656. His parents came from notable Graz families: his father was a provincial sculptor and artisan, his grandfather was a bookseller, and his mother was the daughter of a
joiner and married to a
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
before her second marriage. Raised in the tradition of Styrian craftsmanship in a city of significant architectural achievements, Johann received his early training as a sculptor in the workshop of his father, Johann Baptist Fischer, who contributed to the interior sculptural decorations of the
Landhaus and
Eggenberg Palace in Graz. During the seventeenth century, the
Princes of Eggenberg had emerged as important patrons of the arts in
Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered ...
; through their patronage of Johann Baptist, they arranged for his talented son to travel to Italy and work in the flourishing artistic environment of the late
Italian Baroque.
In 1671, at the age of sixteen, Johann moved to Rome and joined the workshop of his fellow Austrian
Johann Paul Schor and of the great
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...
, who gave him ample opportunities to study both ancient and modern sculpture and architecture. By 1685, he had followed Schor to
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
, where he was reported to have amassed a considerable fortune serving the Spanish viceroy.
Back in Austria in 1687, Fischer von Erlach was installed as a fashionable and sought-after architect. Commissions were plentiful, as royalty and highest echelons of aristocracy sought to repair the damage inflicted on their country residences by the
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
in the course of
their 1683 campaign. Fischer's understanding of an urbane Baroque idiom appeared superior to that prevalent in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, and in 1687 he secured the key position of court architect, which he would retain in the service of three
emperors
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
.
Service under Emperor Joseph I
During the 1690s, which have been described as the most fruitful period of Fischer's career, he adapted the Italian Baroque to local needs and traditions. In 1690, he won great acclaim for two temporary
triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cr ...
es constructed in
Vienna
en, Viennese
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to celebrate
Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to:
*Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283
* Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711)
*Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696)
*Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...
's coronation. He later personally instructed Joseph in architectural arts, so successfully that in 1696 the monarch elevated Johann Fischer to the nobility, as Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.
In his 17th-century designs and commissions, Fischer von Erlach embraced Berniniesque's powerful curving lines, seeking to convey a sense of movement. His other inspirations included
Mansart's
country residences and the
Palladian
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
classical
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...
s, which he would study during his journeys to
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
, the Netherlands, England in 1704 and
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
in 1707.
Thus Fischer presided over the genesis and early evolution of a distinctive brand of Baroque architecture, which would shape the architectural tastes of the Austrian aristocracy for decades to come. His emblematic design from the 1690s was the Winter Palace of
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...
,
commenced in 1695 in Vienna. As Hans Aurenhammer put it, this edifice represented "a new type of town palace characterized by impressive form, structural clarity, and the dynamic tension of its decoration".
Salzburg and late works
Fischer's expertise in
town planning made itself felt in designs he executed for the
Archbishop of Salzburg
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg ( la, Archidioecesis Salisburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. The archdiocese is one of two Austrian archdioceses, serving alongside the Archdiocese ...
. Particularly accomplished are two churches, the
Holy Trinity Church (''Dreifaltigkeitskirche'') (1694–1702) and the Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church) (1696–1707), whose highly pitched
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
s and towers, convex
facades, and dynamic forms irrevocably changed the outline of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
. They say that masses of stone were designed by Fischer so as to give the appearance of billows of cloud and smoke. The archbishop's country seat,
Schloss Klessheim (1700–09), was also designed by him.
Fischer's visit to
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
brought back to Western Europe the influence of the classical
Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace ( hr, Dioklecijanova palača, ) is an ancient palace built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, which today forms about half the old town of Split, Croatia. While it is referred to as a "pala ...
and provided Europe with one of the first professional architectural glimpses of this notable Roman monument.
After Joseph I's death in 1711, Fischer von Erlach was rarely entrusted with new commissions, as the more pleasing and less demanding designs of his rival
Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt proved more popular with the young monarch
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
, house = Habsburg
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, issue =
, issue-link = #Children
, issue-pipe =
, father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
, mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg
, birth_date ...
and his court. He found an opportunity to draw some of the finest architectural reconstructions of the buildings of Antiquity, which were published in his groundbreaking ''Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture'' in 1721. He was also made responsible for various administrative tasks, which would take a large portion of his energy and time.
Clam-Gallas Palace in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, commenced in 1713, was one of his last designs for a stately town residence. Much imitated by later architects, the structure highlights Fischer's enthusiasm for Palladian facades, which became ever more pronounced during the last period of his work.
But it is
Karlskirche in Vienna, started in 1715, that most fully illustrates his late synthetic style. In this structure, completed by his son
Joseph Emanuel, Fischer's ambition was to harmonize the principal elements and ideas that underlie the most significant churches in the history of Western architecture: the
Temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
,
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, the
Pantheon
Pantheon may refer to:
* Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building
Arts and entertainment Comics
*Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization
* ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...
and
Saint Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal ...
in Rome, the
Dome des Invalides in Paris and
Saint Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gr ...
in London.
Selected works
*
Pestsäule,
*
Pilgrimage Church Maria Straßengel high altar,
*
Ruprecht von Eggenberg mausoleum alterations,
*
Palais Augarten,
* Count Schlick summer house,
* Palais Strattman,
*
Palais Schönborn-Batthyány,
* Schloß Niederweiden hunting lodge,
* Pferdeschwemme,
* Hofmarstall stables portal,
*
Schönbrunn Palace,
*
Parnas fountain on
Zelný trh (Cabbage market),
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
1696
*
Schloss Neuwaldegg
''Schloss Neuwaldegg'' is a Baroque architecture, Baroque palace with an English garden in the Hernals borough of Vienna, Austria.1 It is currently privately owned and rented out for a variety of private and public events.
History
Neuwaldegg ...
,
*
Winter Palace of Prince Eugene
The Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (german: Winterpalais Prinz Eugen), also known as the City Palace (german: Stadtpalais), is a high-Baroque architecture, Baroque palace in the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria. Located on a narrow street ...
,
*
Schloss Klessheim,
* Pilgrimage Church in Kirchental,
*
Holy Trinity Church (''Dreifaltigkeitskirche''),
* Johannesspitalskirche,
*
Mariazell Basilica high altar,
*
St. Mark's Church (''Markuskirche'', formerly ''Ursulinenkirche''),
*
Stadtpalais Liechtenstein
The Liechtenstein City Palace (german: Stadtpalais Liechtenstein) is a residential building at 9, in the first district of Vienna, Innere Stadt. The palace was built from 1692 to 1705 by the Italian architect Domenico Martinelli and the Swiss ...
side portal,
*
Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church),
*
Franciscan Church high altar,
*
Palais Lobkowitz,
*
Palais Trautson,
* Perchtoldsdorf plague column,
*
Bohemian Court Chancellery,
*
Clam-Gallas Palace,
*
Cekin Mansion,
*
Palais Schwarzenberg,
*
Stallburg
The Stallburg is a renaissance-style building in the Vienna city center located between Josefsplatz and Michaelerplatz. It is part of the Hofburg Palace.
Formerly the living quarters of Archduke Maximilian , later Emperor Maximilian II, it was ...
,
*
Karlskirche,
*
Wrocław Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wrocław, ( pl, Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela, german: Breslauer Dom, Kathedrale St. Johannes des Täufers), is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wrocław and a landmark of the city of Wr ...
electoral chapel,
*
Austrian National Library plans,
Gallery
File:Graben Vienna June 2006 283.jpg, Pestsäule, Graben, Vienna, 1687
File:Mausoleum Ruprecht von Eggenberg ehrenhausen 1575 13-06-28.JPG, Ruprecht von Eggenberg mausoleum, Styria, 1690
File:Wien - Palais Augarten (1).JPG, Palais Augarten, Vienna, 1688–92
File:Palais Strattman Bankgasse 4-6 Ung Botschaft.JPG, Palais Strattman, Vienna, 1692
File:Palais Schönborn-Batthyány Vienna Sept 2006 001.jpg, Palais Schönborn-Batthyány, Vienna, 1692–93
File:Schloß Niederweiden-3.jpg, Schloß Niederweiden, Lower Austria, 1693
File:1565 - Salzburg - Marstallschwemme Pferdeschwemme.JPG, Pferdeschwemme, Salzburg, 1693
File:20080215-18 Wenen (299).jpg, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, 1695
File:Schloss Neuwaldegg 5.JPG, Schloss Neuwaldegg, 1697
File:Salzburg Markuskirche 02.jpg, St. Mark's Church, Salzburg, 1699
File:Klessheim-2012.jpg, Schloss Klessheim, Salzburg, 1700
File:Salzburg Dreifaltigkeitskirche 1.jpg, Holy Trinity Church, Salzburg, 1694–1702
File:Salzburg Kollegienkirche 08.jpg, Collegiate Church, Salzburg, 1696–1707
File:Franziskanerkirche High Altar Salzburg.jpg, Franciscan Church high altar, Salzburg, 1708
File:Palais Trautson Vienna June 2006 222.jpg, Palais Trautson, Vienna, 1710–12
File:Wien - ehemalige Böhmische Hofkanzlei.JPG, Bohemian Court Chancellery, Vienna, 1708–14
File:Palais Schwarzenberg.jpg, Palais Schwarzenberg, Vienna, 1720–22
File:Karlskirche1.jpg, Karlskirche, Vienna, 1716–23
File:Stallburg.Josefsplatz.jpg, Stallburg, 1723
File:Josefsplatz Wien.jpg, Austrian National Library, Vienna, 1723–26
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
"Fischer von Erlach"photos by Georg Parthen
* Entwurff Einer Historischen Architectur (Vienna 1721) , (Leipzig 1725
Digitalised version, University of Heidelberg*
*
*
''Fischer von Erlach'' – photographs by Georg ParthenMedals of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlachin: Digitales Belvedere
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer Von Erlach, Johann Bernhard
1656 births
1723 deaths
17th-century architects
17th-century Austrian people
18th-century Austrian architects
18th-century Austrian people
Austrian architecture writers
Austrian expatriates in Italy
Austrian untitled nobility
Austrian Baroque architects
Architects from Graz
Spanish Riding School
Austrian Baroque sculptors