Johann Baptist Straub (1 June 1704 (baptism) – 15 July 1784) was a German

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

sculptor 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 ...

Biography

Straub was born in

Wiesensteig Wiesensteig is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Fils, 16 km south of Göppingen. Geography Geographical location Wiesensteig is located in the upper Fils valley ...

, into a family of sculptors. His father Johann George Straub and his brothers Philipp Jakob, Joseph, and Johann Georg Straub were also sculptors, as was his nephew

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (February 6, 1736 – August 19, 1783) was a German-Austrian sculptor most famous for his "character heads", a collection of busts with faces contorted in extreme facial expressions. Early years Born February 6, 17 ...

. J. B. Straub studied in Munich with the court sculptor Gabriel Luidl and then went to Vienna, where he worked from 1726 to 1734. In 1734 Straub returned to Munich. In 1737 he was appointed by

Elector Elector may refer to: * Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors * Elector, a member of an electoral college ** Confederate elector, a member of ...

Karl Albrecht from Bavaria as the court sculptor. In the same year Straub married a daughter of the court engraver, Franz Xaver Späth. Straub worked primarily in

Upper Bavaria Upper Bavaria (german: Oberbayern, ; ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat ...

n churches and monasteries, frequently alongside some of the greatest Baroque artists of the day: the architect Johann Michael Fischer, the painter

Johann Baptist Zimmermann Johann Baptist Zimmermann (3 January 1680, Gaispoint — 2 March 1758, Munich) was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque. Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were ...

, the

Asam Brothers The Asam brothers (Cosmas Damian Asam and Egid Quirin Asam) were sculptors, workers in stucco, painters, and architects, who worked mostly together and in southern Germany. They are among the most important representatives of the German late B ...

, the Tyrolian painter Johann Jacob Zeiller, and the

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

ists Franz Xaver and

Johann Michael Feuchtmayer Johann Michael Feuchtmayer (the Younger) (sometimes spelled Johann Michael Feuchtmayr or Feichtmayr) (1709 – June 4, 1772) was a German stuccoworker and sculptor of the late Baroque period. He collaborated with the architects Johann Michael Fis ...

, among others. Usually Straub's figures are carved in simple white, with very little gold trim. Important works by Straub are in the Residenz in Munich as well as in

Schloss Nymphenburg The Nymphenburg Palace (german: Schloss Nymphenburg, Palace of the Nymphs) is a Baroque palace situated in Munich's western district Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. Combined with the adjacent Nymphenburg Palace Park it consti ...

. His best-known church works are the altars of the monastic churches of

Andechs Andechs is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is renowned in Germany and beyond for Andechs Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that has brewed beer since 1455. The monastery brewery offers tours to visitors. The ...

and Schäftlarn as well as St. Michael's Church in

Berg am Laim Berg am Laim (Central Bavarian: ''Berg am Loam'') is a southeastern borough of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Notable landmarks *Das Kartoffelmuseum * Erzbruderschaft St. Michael * Innsbrucker Ring * Innsbrucker-Ring-Tunnel * Kultfabrik * Leuchtenb ...

, a borough of Munich. Straub died in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

, where his workshop was the most important of its day. The most famous artist to study there was

Ignaz Günther Ignaz Günther (22 November 1725 – 27 June 1775) was a German sculptor and woodcarver working in the Bavarian Rococo tradition. He was born in Altmannstein, where he received his earliest training from his father, then studied in Munich und ...

Major works

Austria

Laxenburg __NOTOC__ Laxenburg (Central Bavarian: ''Laxnbuag'') is a market town in the district of Mödling, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Located about south of the Austrian capital Vienna, it is chiefly known for the Laxenburg castles, which, b ...

—Schwarzspanierkirche Wien (pulpit) (1730)

Bavaria

Altomünster Altomünster is a municipality in the district of Dachau in Bavaria in Germany. Geography Geographical location The market is located northwest of Dachau and almost in the middle of the triangle formed by the cities of Munich, Augsburg and Ingo ...

— Brigittine Monastery Church (altars in the lay nave, figures of apostles, upper high altar, altars in the choir) (1765–1769) *

— Pilgrimage Church of the Annunciation (altars, figures of St. Elisabeth von Thüringen and

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...

) (1750) *

Bichl Bichl is a municipality in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at , and has about 2000 residents. The village first appears in documents from 1048. The name "Bichl" refers to hill upon which the village ch ...

—Parish Church of St. George (high altar) (1752) *

Dießen am Ammersee Dießen am Ammersee (Southern Bavarian: ''Diaßn am Ammasä'') is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is located on the shores of the Ammersee. Geography Situated in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland the town stre ...

—Church of St. Maria (side altars and pulpit) (1739–1741) *

Ettal Ettal is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Ettal is situated in the ''Oberland'' area in the ''Graswangtal'' between the ''Loisachtal'' and '' Ammertal'', approx. 10 km north of Garmisch-Pa ...

— Benedictine Monastery Church (pulpit and side altars) (1757–1765) *

Fürstenzell Fürstenzell ( bar, label=Central Bavarian, Fiaschtnzei) is a municipality in the district of Passau in Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germa ...

—Cistercian Monastery Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin (altar and tabernacle) (1741) *

—Franciscan Monastery Church of St. Anna im Lehel (high altar tabernacle and pulpit) (1738–1739) *

— Dreifaltigkeitskirche (tabernacle relief) (1760) *

— Parish Church of St. Michael (high altar and side altars) (1743) *

—St. George in Bogenhausen (high altar) (1770–1773) *

Oberaudorf Oberaudorf () is a municipality in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Inn. Oberaudorf is the birthplace of the mother of German Pope Benedict XVI, of German politician Edmund Stoiber and footballer Bastian Schwei ...

—Kloster Reisach (side altars) (1748–1757) *

Polling Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Figurative head counts * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling places o ...

—Kloster Polling (high altar renovation) (1763) * Schäftlarn— Premonstratensian Monastery (pulpits and altars) (1755–1764) * Steingaden—Premonstratensian Monastery Church of St. John the Baptist (figures of founders on the pillars of the high altar) (1740)

More information

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straub, Johann Baptist 1704 births 1784 deaths People from Göppingen (district) German Baroque sculptors 18th-century German sculptors 18th-century German male artists German male sculptors Rococo sculptors Artists from Baden-Württemberg Catholic sculptors