Johannes Benk

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Johannes Benk, lithograph by Schubert around 1870

Johannes Benk (born July 27, 1844 in Vienna ; † March 12, 1914 there ) was an Austrian sculptor .

Life

Even Benk's father, Johann Benk (1814–1895), was a meritorious sculptor and stonemason in the ornamental field . Born in Osijek (Essek), the Hungarian completed his training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna . For his studio at Laimgrube No. 100, address later identical to Kanal-Gasse  1 ( Joanelligasse  1) or Magdalenen-Straße 54 ( Linke Wienzeile  54), Vienna-Mariahilf , he advertised his grave monuments in particular in the 1840s.

Johannes Benk himself first attended the lower secondary school and then learned art under Franz Bauer in Vienna and in Dresden with Ernst Hähnel . He proved his artistic talent in several competitions in monumental sculpture, e.g. B. in his drafts for the memorial of the fleet commander Tegetthoff , the sound poet Beethoven and the empress Maria Theresa , in which he showed a correct understanding of the painterly effect and architectural conditions. During his studies he received several prizes such as the Gundel Prize in 1862 or the Reichel Prize in 1868 .

With a scholarship, he went to Rome and Florence from 1870 to 1871 . After his return in 1872 he opened his own studio in the house at Zum Spitz , Schottenfeld No. 8, which had belonged to his father since 1854 (later: Kaiserstraße  11, Vienna-Neubau ). He was soon one of the most popular sculptors, so he was very much appreciated and supported by Karl Freiherrn von Hasenauer .

His main work, the Deutschmeister monument

In his decorative statues (several for the Viennese Votive Church ) there is a stylish measure and a sculptural calm appropriate to the requirements of the Gothic and in his smaller groups, some of which were borrowed from antiquity, a lovable, sometimes soft grace, e.g. B. in the lovely group: Amor and Psyche , in the Madonna with Jesus and John and in the flight to Egypt , which shows an extremely beneficial, harmonious calm. For the staircase of the kk -Hofwaffenmuseums (now Museum of Military History ) in Vienna Arsenal he created a magnificent colossal group of Austria between the spiritual and material culture. His late main work is the Deutschmeister monument on Vienna's Ringstrasse.

From 1872 Benk was a member of the Society of Visual Artists Vienna , from 1887 a member of the Pension Society of Visual Artists in Vienna, 1899–1903 President of the Club of Visual Artists Old World. In 1887 he became a knight of the Franz Joseph Order , in 1888 he was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown III. Class.

After the death of Benk sen. In 1896 the son became the owner of the house at Zum Spitz , Kaiserstraße 11. In 1903 , the demolition of the house for 100,000 crowns was agreed as part of the project to extend Apollogasse to the west and thus improve the development of the Archduchess Sophien Hospital in the future .

Colossal statues by Johannes Benk

  • Helios, Natural History Museum Vienna (height 3.40 m)

  • Athena, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (height 3.40 m)

  • Fortuna at the Neue Burg, Vienna

His grave of honor is in the Vienna Central Cemetery (group 14 A, number 45).

In 1924, Vienna- Hietzing , where the sculptor died in his villa Kirchmeyergasse  5 (today: ON  5–7, House A / D), which he moved into in 1894 (and no longer exists) , was called Benkgasse .

Works (excerpt)

The allegory “Austria” in the former Länderbank headquarters, 1883
Johannes Benk: Klytia, Apollo's lover , around 1888, until 1945 candelabra figure in the Burgtheater

literature

Emperor Franz Joseph monument in Gablitz

Web links

Commons : Johannes Benk  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gravestones and sculptures of all kinds, (...). In:  Wiener Zeitung , General Intelligence Gazette, No. 262/1842, September 22, 1842, p. 408, column 3. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz.
  2. ↑ Kaiserstraße in the Vienna History Wiki of the City of Vienna
  3. ^ Community affairs . Regulation of the place next to the Lazarist Church in the district of Neubau. In:  Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt , No. 37/1903 (XXXII. Volume), February 7, 1903, p. 6 middle. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / iwe.
  4. ↑ a b † sculptor Johannes Benk. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Abendblatt, No. 17796/1914, March 12, 1914, p. 3 middle. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfp.
  5. ↑ Ilse Krumpöck: The images in the Army History Museum. Vienna 2004, p. 24.
  6. ↑ Renate from Grimmling: We celebrate in Gablitz! History of the Lefnär family in Vienna . Ed .: Heimatmuseum Gablitz. Heimatmuseum, Gablitz 2018, ISBN 978-3-200-05569-8 , p. 7th ff .
  7. ↑ Title page: The unveiling of the imperial monument in Gablitz . Ed .: Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt. Vienna, S. August 13, 1911 .
personal data
SURNAME Benk, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH July 27, 1844
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH March 12, 1914
Place of death Vienna