Josef Moriggl (1841–1908) was a master

woodcarver Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

and teacher whose work covered both religious and folk themes. Examples of his intricately detailed

carvings Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s, and

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...

can be found today in churches and private collections, mainly in his native

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

but also abroad.

Early years and career

Josef Moriggl was born in 1841 in

Nauders Nauders ( rm, Danuder) is a municipality in the district of Landeck in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Geography The municipal area is situated in a high valley of the Ötztal Alps north of the Alpine crest, at an altitude of . It is located about ...

, a village in the Tirolean district of

Landeck Landeck () is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the capital of the district of Landeck. Geography Landeck is located in the Tyrolean Oberland in the west of the state at an elevation of about . The town is situated in the valley of the Inn Ri ...

. His early artistic training began with a high school course in

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

, where his artistic aptitude was first apparent. He went on to study at the Mayersche Kunstanstalt (Art School) in Munich and completed his studies at the Craft Trade Institute in Vienna. In 1873, Moriggl was hired as an instructor by the woodcarving school in Taufers, where he stayed for seven years. In 1880 he became Director of the woodcarving school in

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

. During that time he not only taught but took on many private commissions. His eminence in the field was recognized in 1893 when he was named Professor at the Staats-Gewerbeschule (Craft School) in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

. He retained that post until his retirement on February 28, 1907. He died 28 October 1908 in Innsbruck, and was survived by two sons, Josef and Hugo.

Artistic achievements

Although Moriggl was adept in several media, he is best known as an outstanding carver of wooden sculptures. A prime of example of this work, contained in a private collection in England, is a 60 cm high carving of a Tirolean peasant in the act of releasing a bowling ball. It is carved from a single piece of pearwood, and the wood is stained rather than painted in a variety of muted colours. The exact date of carving is not known, but it is recorded as having been given as a wedding present in 1891. A folkloric "Shoe-slapping Group" is recorded as having been created in 1898. Other notable works had religious themes, including a collection of angels exhibited in Innbruck’s Heimat church (1871), a

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

(1885), a St. Cecilia (1887), several statues of Christ, and a “Lufterweibchen” created for the Anglers Guild (1903). Also outstanding are a life-sized statue of Mary (and "Immaculata") for a convent in

Stams Stams is a municipality in Imst District, in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is chiefly known for Cistercian Stams Abbey (''Stift Stams''), founded in 1273 by Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol and his wife.Chizzali. ''Tyrol: Impressions of Tyrol.' ...

and two

angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

for the parish church in Nauders. He also carved wooden tables and cabinet decorations, and created small framed pictures showing coloured Tirolean costumes and folk themes. Many of the latter were made for export to Russia, though these were probably not signed. Moriggl’s work was presented in exhibitions in Munich in 1876 and in Paris in 1878, where he was awarded a medal and honorary prize.

References

* Konrad Fischnaler, Kunst- und Musik-Chronik. Kirchliche und Weltliche Kunst. Der Innsbrucker Künstler-Kreis, in: ''Innsbrucker Chronik'', Innsbruck 1929-1934, p 158 * Obituary in ''Innsbrucker Nachrichten'', October 29, 1908 page 5. {{DEFAULTSORT:Moriggl, Josef Austrian woodcarvers Austrian sculptors Austrian male sculptors 1841 births 1908 deaths