Johann Nepomuk Schaller (30 March 1777,

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

– 16 February 1842, Vienna) was an Austrian sculptor. His most famous work is a bust of

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

at age 55, created at the request of the composer's secretary Karl Holz in 1825. It was later presented to the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

, London, on the occasion of the Beethoven Centennial.

Life

He was the younger brother of the painter Anton Ferdinand Schaller. From 1789, he attended the

Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...

where he studied under Hubert Maurer. In 1791, he became an apprentice at the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory. The following year, he began to study sculpture with Franz Anton von Zauner. By 1811, he had become the head of modelling at the factory. Despite his turn to sculpture, he retained his love for porcelain and acted as an artistic advisor to the factory for the rest of his life. From 1812 to 1823 he lived in Rome on a grant from Prince Metternich, obtained for him by a patron, Count Carl Ludwig Cobenzl. While there, he became familiar with the

Nazarene movement The epithet Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th-century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive spirituality in art. The name Nazarene came from a term of derision used against them for their affectation of a biblical manner of c ...

, as well as making professional contact with

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italians, Italian Neoclassical sculpture, Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was ins ...

and

Bertel Thorvaldsen Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (; sometimes given as Thorwaldsen; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish-Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor and medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–183 ...

. He politely refused an offer from King

Ludwig I Ludwig I or Louis I (; 25 August 1786 – 29 February 1868) was King of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states. When he was crown prince, he was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. As king, he encouraged Bavaria's ind ...

to come work for him in Munich. In 1823, he returned to Vienna, having accepted a position as Professor of Sculpture at the Academy. His most famous student there was

Joseph Gasser von Valhorn Joseph Gasser, after 1879: Ritter von Valhorn (22 November 1816, Wallhorn, near Prägraten - 28 October 1900, Prägraten) was an Austrian sculptor. Life and work His father, Jakob, was a Master carpenter. His younger brother, Hans, also beca ...

. He died after a brief illness that was not believed to be serious. A street in the Viennese district of

Meidling Meidling () is the 12th district of Vienna (). It is located just southwest of the central districts, south of the River Wien, west of the Gürtel belt, and east and southeast of Schönbrunn Palace. Meidling is a heavily populated urban area w ...

was named after him in 1907.

Selected major works

* ''Der jugendliche Amor'' (The Young

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

) (Vienna,

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere The Österreichische Galerie Belvedere is a museum housed in the Belvedere (palace), Belvedere palace, in Vienna, Austria. The Belvedere palaces were the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736). The ensemble was built in the ear ...

, Inv. Nr. 4202), 1815/16 * ''Bellerophon im Kampf mit der Chimaira'' (

Bellerophon Bellerophon or Bellerophontes (; ; lit. "slayer of Belleros") or Hipponous (; lit. "horse-knower"), was a divine Corinthian hero of Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon and Eurynome, and the foster son of Glaukos. He was "the greatest her ...

Fighting the

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...

) (Vienna, Österreichische Galerie Belvedere), 1821 * Statue of

Andreas Hofer Andreas Hofer (22 November 1767 – 20 February 1810) was a County of Tyrol, Tyrolean innkeeper and Droving, drover who became the leader of the 1809 Tyrolean Rebellion during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subsequently captured and exe ...

, ( Hofkirche, Innsbruck, 1827–33 * ''Margaretenbrunnen'' (

Margaret the Virgin Margaret, known as Margaret of Antioch in the West, and as Saint Marina the Great Martyr () in the East, is celebrated as a saint on 20 July in Western Christianity, on 30th of July (Julian calendar) by the Eastern Orthodox Church, and on Epip ...

, fountain), Vienna, 1836

References

External links

The Red List: More works by Schaller

Royal Academy of Music: Beethoven's bust
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schaller, Johann Nepomuk 1777 births 1842 deaths Sculptors from the Austrian Empire Austrian male sculptors Sculptors from Vienna Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni Academic staff of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Life

Selected major works

References

Further reading

External links