Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Notburga in the Heiligkreuz monastery , Kempten
Excerpt from the high altar in Reicholzried
St. Anna in the parish church Pfronten-Berg
Our Lady of Sorrows in the St. Koloman Chapel in Pfronten-Ösch
Crucifix in Reutte Monastery

Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger (born September 25 or 26, 1745 in Pfronten -Berg ; † June 17, 1829 in Pfronten-Berg) was a southern German sculptor between Rococo and Classicism . Like his father, the sculptor Maximilian Hitzelberger (1704–1784), Johann Sigmund also served as sacristan at the parish church in Pfronten for several decades.

Life

Johann Sigmund was the eldest son of the sculptor and sacristan Maximilian Hitzelberger and his wife Maria Waibel. An older sister and three younger brothers - one of whom died early - grew up with Johann Sigmund in the Pfronten-Berger vicarage. It is not known who Johann Sigmund trained as a sculptor. However, he probably completed his entire apprenticeship with his own father, probably from 1760 to 1765, maybe a little earlier. He could have spent his apprenticeship years at his own place with Peter Heel (1696–1767) or with one of the two Stapf brothers related to him ( Mang Anton and Joseph ). However, we can safely assume that as a journeyman he also had a look around their workshops. From 1769 (entry on June 20), Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger continued his education at the Academy in Vienna and with the court sculptor Tabotta. The length of the stay in Vienna is not known, but this made Johann Sigmund a "student" with a corresponding reputation. On April 26, 1773, Johann Sigmund married Maria Theresia Suiter from Pfronten-Dorf. The marriage resulted in eleven children, five of whom died early. For a good ten years, up to the death of the father in 1784, the son Johann Sigmund and the father Maximilian were probably sexton and sculpture together. Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger died very old on June 17, 1829 in his hometown of Pfronten.

plant

When assessing his achievements as a sculptor, it should be taken into account that Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger's apprenticeship fell into the full bloom of the Rococo, while his main creative years were already classicism. Like many other contemporary artisans, Hitzelberger did not manage to make the change without any problems. Because his late works still show baroque echoes. If his great-great-grandson Hans Hitzelberger stated that “Max worked more classy than Sigmund”, then this should also be seen under this aspect. The dependence of some Hitzelberger figures on earlier models created by Peter Heel can be clearly seen. In contrast to his father, Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger also mastered the art of stucco, but not the processing of stone. He received commissions primarily from his native area and neighboring Ausserfern, but also - as a "foreigner" - from the Prince Abbey of Kempten. It is not known whether he was able to design altars and manufacture them himself in his workshop. All in all, we unfortunately still know far too little about his life's work.

Catalog raisonné

There are a large number of often very remarkable crucifixes (some in private ownership) from the Hitzelberg workshop, although it is often not possible to clearly distinguish the hands of father and son. Several crucifixes in Pfronten and Füssen , some in Grän / Tyrol, Lengenwang and Reutte / Tyrol - to name just the most important locations are ascribed to the son . Unless otherwise noted, the works listed are attributions.

literature

  • Anton H. Konrad, Annemarie and Adolf Schröppel: Pfronten , Schwäbische Kunstdenkmale booklet 34, Weißenhorn 1986
  • Georg Dehio , Handbook of German Art Monuments, Bavaria, Vol. 3: Swabia, edited by Bruno Bushart and Georg Paula, Munich-Berlin 2008
  • Herbert Wittmann: Johann Sigmund Hitzelberger I (1745–1829) in: Yearbook of the historical association “Alt Füssen”, Alt Füssen 2008, ISSN  0939-2467 , pp. 48–59
  • Herbert Wittmann: Bayrhoff-Sturm-Heel-Hitzelberger - additions to the respective catalog raisonnés in: Yearbook of the historical association "Alt Füssen", Alt Füssen 1996, ISSN  0939-2467 , p. 150ff
  • Klaus Wankmiller: With knife and mallet ! Works by Pfrontener Sculptors in Ausserfern - Catalog for the exhibition street (= publications of the Museum Association of the Reutte District - Volume XI), Reutte 2017. ISBN 978-3-9503706-7-6 .
personal data
SURNAME Hitzelberger, Johann Sigmund
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South German sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH September 25, 1745 or September 26, 1745
PLACE OF BIRTH Pfronten mountain
DATE OF DEATH June 17, 1829
Place of death Pfronten mountain