Prethodno priopćenje
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2025.14
Altars of the Zagreb Cathedral Designed by Herman Bollé in the Service of ‘Unity and Purity of Style’
Irena Kraševac
; Institut za povijest umjetnosti
Sažetak
In line with the Neo-Gothic restoration, the cathedral in Zagreb received a new high altar and seven side altars designed by the cathedral’s builder (Dombaumeister), Herman Bollé. These new altars were established as endowments by archbishops and church dignitaries, partially respecting previous traditions while adapting to the 19th-century iconography, which introduced new liturgical norms and canonized new saints. The authorship of Herman Bollé as the sole designer of the cathedral’s altars is confirmed by preserved drawings, signed and dated, for individual altars, now housed in the Treasury of Zagreb Cathedral and the Archdiocesan Archive in Zagreb. Bollé’s designs include the high altar (1884), altars of Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Joseph (1886), altars of Saints Ladislaus and Stephen and Saint Mary (1887), altar of Saint Jerome (1889), and finally the altar of Saints Cyril and Methodius (1901). These meticulously detailed and artistically-executed drawings in ink and pencil on paper are invaluable documentation of 19th-century altar design. Though predominantly Neo-Gothic in their architectural details, with pointed gables and richly adorned pinnacles and crockets, their ornamental decoration incorporates Renaissance motifs dominated by stylized floral patterns. The figurative sculptures display impeccable academicism in their proportions and execution. The altars and their accompanying statues were crafted and modelled in white stone and stucco with lavish gilding of ornamental details. As a connoisseur of various craft techniques, Bollé mastered both invention and technical skill, enabling him to oversee not only the cathedral’s demanding architecture, but also its furnishings, down to the smallest decorative details. The production of the first altars based on Bollé’s designs was approved by the Society for the Completion of the Cathedral (Družtvo za dogradjenje prvostolne crkve) during a meeting in January 1887. A key prerequisite for their local production in Zagreb was the establishment of the Craft School, the city’s first specialized educational institution for artistic and craft skills. The school was officially founded on 9 October 1882, by order of the Provincial Government, and its first departments included Sculpture, focusing on modelling and stone carving. Instructors Dragutin Morak (modelling) and Ignjat Franz (stone carving) were employed in the department, bringing experience from Vienna, a vibrant architectural and artistic hub in the late 19th century. In Zagreb, they pioneered professional sculpture work within the framework of artistic craftsmanship. Their largest collaborative project was the creation of decorative sculptural elements for the Zagreb cathedral, where Morak was responsible for figurative elements and Franz for the richly detailed ornamental filigree work. Practical training included student participation, allowing pupils to gain their first experience working on sculptures for the cathedral alongside their teachers.
A crucial document revealing the collaborative nature of the altars as collective artistic works is the Inventory of the Metropolitan Church of Zagreb compiled in 1915 by Ljudevit Ivančan. Herman Bollé and Hektor Eckhel provided Ivančan, the cathedral’s first curator, with details for the inventory. The document shows that the altars were primarily crafted by masters affiliated with Zagreb’s Craft School. Key contributors included sculptors Dragutin Morak and Ignjat Franz, carpenters Ivan Budicki and Miroslav Fridrich Häcker, and woodcarver Jakov Pešek (Peschek). Young students such as Mihovil (Mijo) Stepić and Robert Frangeš carved altar components under their teachers’ guidance. Painted elements were executed by Josip Bauer and Epaminondas Bučevski, while gilding was completed by Slavoljub Wagmeister and Ivan Clausen. Metalwork was produced by blacksmiths Anton Mesić, Gjuro Hamel and Gjuro Burić. The Saint Jerome altarpiece, the only painting in Bollé’s ensemble, was created by Mato Celestin Medović. Although not directly involved in sculptural work, the Viennese sculptor Josef Beyer also played a significant role. Many statues of saints and figurative groups for individual altars were modelled and sculpted on the basis of his designs, and executed by Morak and Franz with their assistants.
Bollé sought to foster the production of as many artistic and artisanal works as possible for the cathedral within the Craft School workshops. Only items that could not be produced locally were outsourced, such as mosaics and inlays sourced from the high-quality manufacturer, Neuhauser, Dr. Jele & comp. in Innsbruck. To elevate the quality of the sculptural works, Bollé collaborated closely with Josef Beyer, who provided finished sculptures or models for the saints’ statues and figurative groups.
Bollé’s altars are seamlessly integrated into the cathedral’s interior without dominating or competing with one another. Each altar stands as a collective artistic achievement by architect Bollé and the masters of the Craft School, collectively forming a harmonious, stylistically unified whole.
Ključne riječi
Zagreb cathedral; 19th century; Herman Bollé; Craft School; historicism; Neo-style altars; sacred sculpture
Hrčak ID:
342559
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.2025.
Posjeta: 607 *