Jávor Anna - Lubomír Slavícek szerk.: Késő barokk impressziók, Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796) és Josef Winterhalder (1743-1807) (A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria kiadványai)
Tomas Vales: Ifj. Josef Winterhalder (1743-1807), Maulbertsch legkiválóbb freskófestő tanítványa. Fejezetek egy készülő monográfiából - A vég vagy a kezdet?
Beginnings of Winterhalder's autonomous career as painter As a collaborator of Franz Anton Maulbertsch and Vinzenz Fischer, Winterhalder took part in decorating the chapel of the Hofburg in Vienna (1772) and later he joined the work on the pilgrims' church of Dyje/Mühlfraun dedicated to the Flagellated Christ. Dating this decoration recently to 1774-75 is also justified by Winterhalder's other engagements. Between 1776 and 1778 he worked on the dome of the monastic church at Rajhrad/Raigern (1776), followed by the fresco in the Landtafelsaal at the provincial hall of Brno in 1777. That was preceded by his early altar pictures around Znojmo, such as two pictures of the history of the Mikulov/Nikolsburg chapter in the mid17708 and the cabinet pictures on the Revelation of St. Augustine and St. Norbert and the Baptism of the Ruler (Duke Svatopluk ?). In 1773 the painter settled in Znojmo/Znaim for good. He got married on September 14, 1783; his daughter Theresa was born on April 22, 1784. To be a practitioner of his profession, Winterhalder had to seek "civic" status as a non-academician painter. He is first mentioned as a "civic painter" at the christening of his daughter. Frescoes of the Ss Peter and Paul Benedictine abbey at Rajhrad/Raigern Winterhalder's first autonomous fresco is one in the St. Vitus church at Jemnice/Jamnitz (dated by the chronogram to 1774). In the '70s his greatest work was the decoration of the sanctuary dome in the Ss Peter and Paul church at Rajhrad. In his letter of February 27, 1773 to the prior of Raigern Alexius Habrich he lists his expectations how the work should be prepared. It is an important source of the technique of execution. Winterhalder's assistant here is not identified, unlike his later collaborators (Adalbert Radda, Martin Michl) . In Raigern the work lasted from early spring to autumn 1776. The earlier fresco of the sanctuary painted by Johann Georg Etgens between 1726 and 1729 perished when the vault collapsed between 1753 and '63. The first dome from the entrance shows St. Paul in the third heaven, the middle dome has a fresco of the Vision of St. Benedict, both by Etgens. The original theme of the sanctuary dome fresco is unknown. Winterhalder's fresco Christes Transfiguration, with the figure of St. Peter also playing a central role - is closely connected to the liturgical function of the interior in which light has an equally important role. The apostle figures in the spandrels are close to the Hradistë type, but the individualized facial features and special attributes also mark them off from it. Around St. Luke, painting tools are also seen near the bull as salient components of the picture's theme. This and the different face type of Luke from the rest suggest that a self-portrait is concealed here. The icon of the Virgin in the St. Thomas church in Brno is recognizable in the painting. Winterhalder had elaborated this theme in a series of evangelists in oil kept in the collection of the Premonstratensian monastery of Nová Rise/Neu Reisch. The Brno icon is adopted from a print made on the occasion of the coronation of the icon in 1736. The theme of the Transfiguration was codified by early Christian art and also inspired the great Renaissance masters. The most frequently cited work was Raphael's whose reception in Central Europe is verified bv several paintings. One of them is a rondel fresco in the prelature of Hradisko /Hradisch by Daniel Gran. In the Rajhrad fresco Winterhalder placed the originally freely hovering figure onto a cloud. Christ stands in slight contrapposto, his left foot resting on an angel's hand. The figure of Christ resembles Maulbertsch's figure in the fresco of the Ascension in Sümeg. The circular arrangement of the figures goes back to a Correggio composition. The colour scheme being an important aspect and measure of a painting's qualities, it ranks the work among Winterhalder's best achievements. Commissions from the Premonstratensians of Zábrdovice/Obrowitz and Krtiny/Kiritein Winterhaider got in touch with the Premonstratensians of Zábrdovice/Obrowitz (today part of Brno) in Louka / Klosterbruck and through the commendation of the Rajhrad Benedictines. He was contracted for the job by the abbot Christoph Georg Matuschka who had boosted the economy of the monastery. The decoration of the summer refectory was only completed after his death in 1777, during Abbot Michael Daniel Marawe. The construction lasted until 1774, so the painting of the summer refectory can be dated to 1777-78. The representative function of the room was to receive notable guests. The walls are articulated by en grisaille statues in niches, most probably the first of the kind in
