Magyar Műemlékvédelem (Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség Kiadványai 14. Budapest, 2007)

SZERDAHELYI MÁRK: Andreas Schroth (1791-1865) szobrász

ANDREAS SCHROTH, THE SCULPTOR (1791 -1865) BY MARK SZERDAHELYI Andreas Schroth, the Austrian sculptor and painter was born December 20th 1791 and died January 29

th 1865 in Vienna. His father, Joseph Schroth (1764-1797) as a courtsculptor possessed one of the biggest sculptor's studios of Vienna at the end of the 1

8th century. Andreas started his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1805 as a student of the sculptor's school. His teachers were Frances Anton Zauner and Johann Martin Fischer. He won the silver medal of the highest 'Court Prize' (Hofpreis) with his statue in 1816 and obtained a scholarship to the Academy in 18181821. During these years he must have been working as a drawer and furniture-producer for Joseph Danhauser's furniture factory. He visited Prague and other places in Bohemia and was charged with commissions in 1820-21. Schroth was invited by Andrew Rudnay, the archbishop of Esztergom to accomplish the sculptural work in the basilica being under construction in 1823. Schroth moved in Eszetrgom and worked there as the main sculptor. He participated in the construction until Rudnay's death in 1831 completing mainly decoration and figurai sculptural task, such as the complete sculptural shaping of the archbishop crypt: the two more than three and a half metres high geniuses standing by the stairway of the crypt (1824) and the inside relieves of the Saint Anne round church with the scenes of the eight solemn ceremonies of the Blessed Virgin (1830,1831,1836). He was commissioned bythe archbishop to make the archbishop's bust, pictures and woodcuts. The large size portrait in oil of Alexander Rudnay, the chiselled landscapes of the basilica and the only portrayal of John Packh the architect are linked with his name. He illustrated Urania, the local almanac from 1829. In the same year he was commissioned by Emperor Francis II to create the marble bust of Marshal Joseph Colloredo for the Vienna arsenal (Zeughaus) which stands in the War History Museum in Vienna (Arzenál) nowadays. Owning to Packh Schroth accomplishes sculptural and decoration work at the construction in Pannonhalma from 1829 until 1834 when he creates the bust of abbot Krizosztom Novak and a part of the inside decoration and the outside relief of the library. In addition he cast the almost 10 metres long and 2 metres high monumental lead relief (having been destroyed since then) above the entrance of the tower. He starts to live in Vienna again from 1835 and works on the sculptural decoration of the garden palace of Klemens Metternich Rennwegen whilst he creates statues for Esztergom as well. He finishes the missing 5 relieves of the Saint Anne church and carves the 4 relieves of Calvary on behalf of Alex Jordánszky in 1838. From this time he was employed by canon John Keglevich in the construction in Upper Hungary (Kistapolcsány and Nagyagróc). He visited Cracow and other towns in Poland accomplishing several commissions. He was invited by Pietro Nobile the director of Vienna Hofbau to create the reconstruction plan of theSaint James church in Boskoviœ (in Bohemia). In the same year he accomplishes a series of zinc statues for the crypt of the Abbey in Melk: Christ in the tomb surrounded by Angels. He appears in Przemysl at the Polish-Ukrainan border. His last famous work is a landscape under the title'Perspective'. The last 15 years of his life are unknown. Schroth was highly qualified in crafts and created mainly stone, plaster and metal works. He exhibited eight objects between 1820 and 1830 seven times, among them the plaster bust of Rudnay and four paintings; one of them illustrating the basilica of Esztergom under construction. His unusual versatility is represented by some famous high quality paintings and reproduced drawings, carved furnishings and architectural plans. He applied for several jobs at Vienna Academy but was not admitted to any of them. He was a typical representative of Vienna classicism, the follower of Zauner and Fischer's classic and stiff expression of form. He had a scrupulous and detailed working method and masculine figures full of energy and modelled carefully with particular plasticity.