- Anton Dominik Fernkorn
Anton Dominick Ritter von Fernkorn (1813-1878) was an
Austria n sculptor. He was born inErfurt ,Thuringia and died in Vienna.Career
Fernkorn studied
sculpture under the sculptorLudwig Michael Schwanthaler inMunich . In 1840 he moved toVienna, Austria and was part of the rebellion against the Neo-Classicism of that time and place. He rediscovered Baroque sculpture and used it as the basis for his equestrian statue ofArchduke Charles (1859), who had defeatedNapoleon at theBattle of Aspern in 1809. In this work Fernkorn skillfully executed the difficult task of creating a monumentally sized equestrian statue with the horse (and rider) successfully balanced on the horse's two rear legs.His equestrian monument of
Prince Eugene of Savoy is less successful and by the time of its unveiling in 1865 Fernkorn's mental illness made it impossible for him to produce any more work.Fernkorn is well remembered for his portraits, and these include a bust of the Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria and the funerary bust of Carl Ludwig Freiherr von Bruck (1862). He was also a notedanimalier , producing works such as the "Lion of Aspern" in Vienna.His statue of Baron
Josip Jelačić has an interesting and involved history. The central square of the city ofZagreb is named after Jelačić. The square features a large equestrian statue of the Baron, created by Fernkorn. The statue was originally installed on19 October ,1866 by the Austrian authorities, despite protest from the Zagreb councilmen. It was oriented towards the north at the time. The statue was removed in 1947, as the newCommunist government ofYugoslavia denounced Jelačić as an Austrian collaborator. But, in 1990, the statue was reinstated afterCroatia regained independence and Jelačić's historic role was reevaluated. The reinstated statue faces south.Fernkorn's own cemetery monument, created by sculptor
Josef Beyer , is located in theZentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna. It consists of a relief of the artist, dressed for work and holding the tools of his trade, surrounded by shallow reliefs of some of his better known works, including his equestrian monuments to the Archduke Charles and Prince Eugene and the "Lion of Aspern".References
*Janson, H.W., "19th-Century Sculpture",
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. , Publishers, New York, 1985
*Kitlitschka, Werner,"Grabkult & Grabskulptur: In Wien und Niederösterreich, Vom Historismus zur Moderne", Verlag Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus, Wien, 1987
*Mackay, James, "The Dictionary of Sculptors in Bronze", Antique Collectors Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1977
*Rheims, Maurice, "La Sculpture au XiXe Siècle", Arts et Métiers Graphiques, Paris, 1972External links
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