Johann Richard Eberhard
Johann Richard Eberhard (born April 3, 1739 in Hindelang ; † July 6, 1813 in Hindelang) was a southern German Rococo sculptor who turned to classicism towards the end of the 18th century, but without becoming a classicist. He was "an amiable character and a respectable artist at the same time, who surpassed his fellow countrymen in the Allgäu in his field". As the son of the sculptor Melchior Eberhard and the father of Franz Xaver and Konrad Eberhard , he formed the "middle link" of three generations of sculptors.
Life
There is no reliable information about the early years of Johann Richard Eberhard's life. Certainly, however, the Eberhards lived in modest circumstances. In addition to sculpting, they also ran a small farm, as was customary at the time. Johann Richard received his first training as a sculptor from his father. His name appears for the first time in 1759 in connection with a work his father did for the parish church of St. Verena in Fischen . There, as his journeyman, he received a handsome tip of 4 guilders 49 kreuzers. According to the admission protocol of October 8, 1764, Johann Richard Eberhard was registered as a student of the Academy in Vienna a few years later and worked there at the same time for the sculptor Franz Sattler. When he returned home, he married Veronika Hengg from Nesselwängle, seven years his senior, on November 17, 1766, a Tyrolean. After a life marked by “tireless diligence” and restless work, Johann Richard Eberhard died on the morning of July 6th, 1813 of a “nervous disease”.
Artistic development as a sculptor
Eberhard was able to acquire solid technical tools from his father. Because he had received excellent training as a sculptor. In addition, there must have been connections to the Füssen sculptor Anton Sturm and the Augsburg brothers, Verhelst, which have not yet been proven, but which can only be seen from the work . The influence of Georg Raphael Donner on the young Hindelangian during his stay in Vienna (“classic profile” of his characters) also becomes clear again and again. Johann Richard Eberhard created his best works until after 1780 in the style of the fully blossomed Rococo style . Among other things, they are characterized by a pronounced attention to detail. Eberhard pays particular attention to the careful elaboration of the hair, the structure of the clothes and the attributes. His figures are also characterized by idiosyncratic, sometimes surprisingly wide-swinging draperies. He also mastered the fine and detailed execution of reliefs - an art that was also adopted by his sons. Apparently it was not easy for the sculptor trained in the Rococo to conform to the emerging classicism or even to submit it completely. It was only his later works, from around 1790 onwards, that showed the initially hesitant turn to the new art style. In the end, however, he managed to switch. His sons, who were soon working in the workshop, apparently had no problem with the change in style. His student Nikolaus Weiß also quickly became a classicist.
Altar and pulpit designs
The fact that Johann Richard Eberhard also designed altars and pulpits is sufficiently documented by a number of received contracts, invoices and plans. For this reason, a whole series of other designs could be attributed to him through style comparison. Both its altars and the pulpit have a number of typical features. They are balanced in shape and usually richly decorated. Eberhard usually left the pure carpentry work to a local artisan. His choir altar from 1795 for his local parish church occupies a special position in the work of the Hindelang master. In collaboration with his two sons, Eberhard created a classicist masterpiece, which unfortunately only survives in fragments.
Catalog of works (selection)
Works that have been archived are indicated by the addition (arch.). All other works are attributions. The location is usually the respective parish church or chapel.
- 1758/1759: Sonthofen ; Work on the high altar of the parish church (arch.)
- 1759/1760: Ofterschwang ; High altar design, high altar figures
- 1762: Maria Rain (Gem. Oy-Mittelberg); Pulpit reliefs
- 1765 or 1770 (?): Sonthofen ; Pulpit design (?) And pulpit sculpture (?)
- 1769 (?): Petersthal (Gem. Oy-Mittelberg); High altar design and high altar sculpture
- 1769/1770: Vorderburg (Gem. Rettenberg); High altar design (arch.)
- 1769: Mittelberg ; Pulpit design and pulpit plastic
- 1769/1770: Wertach ; Tabernacle (arch.)
- Around 1770 (?): Maria Rain (Gem. Oy-Mittelberg); Working on the high altar
- Around 1770: Nuremberg , Germanisches Nationalmuseum ; St. Sebastian
- Around 1770: Bad Oberdorf (municipality of Bad Hindelang); two reliquary pyramids, from Hindelang
- 1770/1771: Sonthofen ; Draft (?) And figures of the side altars (arch.)
- Around 1770/1780: Schattwald (Tyrol); Carving group of the baptism of Christ
- 1770/1780: Gestratz ; Pulpit design and pulpit plastic
- Around 1770/1780: Denklingen ; Design of the three altars, altar sculpture and individual figures (arch.)
- 1773: Immenstadt ; Draft of the Marian column (arch.)
- 1774: Bichlbach (Tyrol); Parish church, pulpit
- Around 1775: Bach- Stockach (Tyrol); Altar and pulpit designs, figurines
- 1776: Altdorf (Gem. Biessenhofen); tabernacle
- 1776 to 1780: Bernbach (Gem. Bidingen); Design of the three altars and the pulpit, associated sculptures (arch.)
- Around 1777: Hüttenberg (Gem. Ofterschwang); Altar design and altar sculpture
- 1779: Vorderburg (Gem. Rettenberg); Design of the side altars and the pulpit, associated sculptures (arch.)
- 1779: Aach im Allgäu (municipality of Oberstaufen); High altar design and high altar sculpture
- 1779 to 1795: Lindenberg , Aurelius Church; Altar designs, tabernacles, several figures, pulpit lids (all arch.)
- 1780: Thalkirchdorf (municipality of Oberstaufen); High altar figures
- Around 1780: Eglofs (Argenbühl) (Gem. Argenbühl); High altar design, tabernacle, high altar sculpture
- Around 1780: Bach -Schönau (Tyrol); seated, clothed Madonna
- Around 1780: Opfenbach ; Side altar sculpture on the altar of the Anna fraternity
- 1784: Elmen (Tyrol); Madonna (arch.)
- 1785: Gestratz ; Madonna (arch.)
- Around 1785: Röthenbach ; Mother of God figure
- Around 1785: Häselgehr (Tyrol); Corpus Christi altar
- Around 1790: Grünenbach ; Pulpit design and pulpit plastic
- Around 1790: Scheffau (Gem. Scheidegg); Pulpit design and pulpit plastic
- Around 1790: Niedersonthofen ; Crucifixion group at the high altar
- 1791/1792: Sonthofen ; Side altars in the choir including plastic (arch.), Only partially preserved and in a different location
- 1792: Dietmannsried ; Crucifixion group, acquired from Sonthofen (arch.)
- 1793: Grän (Tyrol); High altar and pulpit design
- 1793: Bad Hindelang ; "Decoration" of the two side altars (arch.)
- 1795: Bad Hindelang ; High altar design and sculptural work on the high altar (arch.), Only preserved in fragments
- 1795: Taufkirchen ; Baptism group (arch.) From Hindelang
- 1797: hamlet ; Pulpit design (?), Trumpet angel and two putti
- 1798/1799 (?): Lechbruck am See ; Design of the two side altars, altar sculpture on the Antonius altar
- 1799: Scheidegg ; Planning of the altar furnishings, altar sculpture (arch.), Only partially preserved
- Around 1800: Ortwang (Gem. Burgberg); Altar design and two putti
- Around 1800: Tannheim (Tyrol); High altar antependium (arch.)
- Around 1800: Hochweiler (Gem. Sonthofen); Altar design (?), Altar figures
- 1805: Hinterstein (municipality of Bad Hindelang); Altar drafts (?), Pulpit draft, altar figures (partly arch.)
Individual evidence
literature
- Christian Arnold: Konrad Eberhard 1768-1859, sculptor and painter. Life and works of an Allgäu artist family , publications by the Swabian Research Association at the Commission for Bavarian State History, Series 1, Studies on the History of Bavarian Swabia, Vol. 8, Augsburg 1964.
- Michael Petzet: The Art Monuments of Swabia VIII, District Sonthofen, Munich 1964.
- Herbert Wittmann: The Hindelang sculptor Johann Richard Eberhard (1739-1813) and his workshop , in: Extra Verren 2012, Yearbook of the Museum Association of the Reutte District , pp. 67–150.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Eberhard, Johann Richard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South German Rococo sculptor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 3, 1739 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hindelang |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 6, 1813 |
| Place of death | Hindelang |