Othmar Schimkowitz (2 October 1864 in
Tárts,
Komárom County
Komárom (Hungarian: ; or ; , later ; ) is a city in Hungary on the south bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom County. Komárom fortress played an important role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and many contemporary English sources re ...
– 24 April 1947 in Graz) was a Hungarian-born
architectural sculptor
Architectural sculpture is the use of sculptural techniques by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project. The sculpture is usually integrated with the structure, but freestanding works that a ...
who worked on the greatest landmarks of the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (; also known as the Union of Austrian Artists or ) is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and architects, including Josef Ho ...
.
Life
Schimkowitz studied at 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.
...
, lived for three years in New York as friends with the Austrian-American sculptor
Karl Bitter
Karl Theodore Francis Bitter (December 6, 1867 – April 9, 1915) was an Austrian-born American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work.
Life and career
The son of Carl and Henrietta Bitter, he was ...
, and returned to
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. ...
in 1895. He joined the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (; also known as the Union of Austrian Artists or ) is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and architects, including Josef Ho ...
in 1898.
Major works
His architectural sculpture includes:
* Figurative ornamentation for the 1897 Gutenberg Monument, Vienna,
Jože Plečnik
Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a Slovenian architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, most notably by designing the iconic Triple Bridge a ...
, architect
* The three gorgons on the 1898 Secession exhibition building in Vienna,
Joseph Maria Olbrich
Joseph Maria Olbrich (22 December 1867 – 8 August 1908) was an Austrian architect and one of the Vienna Secession founders.
Early life
Olbrich was born in Troppau, Austrian Silesia (modern day Opava, Czech Republic), the third child of Edm ...
, architect
* The "calling women" of the 1898-1899 of the
Linke Wienzeile Buildings
The Linke Wienzeile Buildings are two apartment buildings in Vienna constructed by Otto Wagner in 1898-99 in the Vienna Secession style. They are both lavishly decorated with colorful tiles, sculpture and wrought iron. One house, at 40 Linke Wien ...
by
Otto Wagner
Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau mo ...
, architect
* Exterior work on the Austrian Pavilion at the 1904
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federa ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
* Rooftop angels of the 1904-1906
Austrian Postal Savings Bank
The Austrian Postal Savings Bank building (, ) is a famous building in Vienna, designed and built by the architect Otto Wagner. The building is regarded as an important work of the Vienna Secession movement, a branch of Art Nouveau.
It was cons ...
in Vienna, also for Wagner
* Angels on the 1907
Kirche am Steinhof
Kirche am Steinhof, also called the Church of St. Leopold, is the Roman Catholic oratory of the Otto-Wagner-Spital in the area of Steinhof in Vienna, Austria. The building, designed by Otto Wagner, is considered one of the most important Art N ...
in Vienna, also for Wagner
Gallery
2005 Austria 100 Euro Steinhof Church back.jpg, Steinhof Church commemorative coin
Secession Vienna June 2006 007.jpg, The 1898 Secession Building
Wienzeile38 c.jpg, Wienzeile 38 apartment block, Vienna
Alsergrund (Wien) - Hauptgebäude der Österreichischen Nationalbank, Haupteingang.JPG, Oesterreichische Nationalbank Building: Relief
See also
One of Schimkowitz's most prominent designs used in a building, (the
Kirche am Steinhof
Kirche am Steinhof, also called the Church of St. Leopold, is the Roman Catholic oratory of the Otto-Wagner-Spital in the area of Steinhof in Vienna, Austria. The building, designed by Otto Wagner, is considered one of the most important Art N ...
), was selected as a major motif for one of the most famous euro collectors coins: the Austrian 100 euro
Steinhof Church commemorative coin, minted on November 9, 2005.
On the reverse of the coin, the
Koloman Moser
Koloman Moser (; 30 March 1868 – 18 October 1918) was an Austrian artist who exerted considerable influence on twentieth-century graphic art. He was one of the foremost artists of the Vienna Secession movement and a co-founder of Wiener Werk ...
stained glass window over the main entrance can be seen. In the center of the window is God the Father seated on a throne. The window is flanked by a pair of bronze angels in Jugendstil style, originally designed by Othmar Schimkowitz.
References
1864 births
1947 deaths
Austrian sculptors
Austrian male sculptors
Architectural sculptors
Sculptors from Austria-Hungary
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni
Art Nouveau sculptors
Hungarian sculptors
Members of the Vienna Secession
20th-century Hungarian sculptors
19th-century Austrian sculptors
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