Paul Troger
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Paul Troger (30 October 1698 – 20 July 1762) was an
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 ...
n painter, draughtsman, and printmaker of the late
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
period. Troger's
illusionistic ceiling painting Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective ''di sotto in sù'' and ''quadratura'', is the tradition in Renaissance art, Renaissance, Baroque art, Baroque and Rococo art in which ''trompe-l'œil'', Perspective (gr ...
s in
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
are notable for their dramatic vitality of movement and their palette of light colors. Paul Troger’s style, particularly in his frescoes, dominated Austrian painting until the end of the 18th century and profoundly influenced significant artists of the next generation, notably
Franz Anton Maulbertsch Franz Anton Maulbertsch (7 June 1724 – 8 August 1796) was an Austrian painter and engraver, one of the most renowned exponents of Rococo painting in the German and Hungarian regions. Maulbertsch was born in Langenargen and studied in the Aca ...
, Josef Ignaz Mildorfer,
Johann Wenzel Bergl Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...
and Johann Lucas Kracker.


Life

Paul Troger was born on 30 October 1698 in Welsberg, in the
Puster Valley The Puster Valley ( it, Val Pusteria ; german: Pustertal, ) is one of the largest longitudinal valleys in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in East Tyrol, Austria, and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy. The S ...
of the
County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised pr ...
. At the age of 16, under the patronage of the aristocratic Tyrolean von Firmian family, he visited
Fiume Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
and became a pupil of
Giuseppe Alberti Giuseppe Alberti (3 October 1664 – 3 February 1716) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was born at Cavalese, in what was then Austrian Tyrol. After having studied medicine at Padua he decided to become a painter and architect. ...
. He painted his first fresco “Three Angels with the Cross and Putti”, in the Kalvarienkirche, Kaltern (1722). In 1722, the
prince-bishop of Gurk The Bishop of Gurk is the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk, which was established in 1072 as the first suffragan bishop by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg in the Duchy of Carinthia. Initially performing the functions of a mere archiep ...
sent Paul Troger to Venice, where he discovered the works of
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (also called Giambattista Piazzetta or Giambattista Valentino Piazzetta) (February 13, 1682 or 1683 – April 28, 1754) was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes. Biography Piazzetta was ...
, and
Giovanni Battista Pittoni Giambattista Pittoni or Giovanni Battista Pittoni (6 June 1687 – 6 November 1767) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque or Rococo period. He was among the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, of which in 1758 he became the ...
. Troger also studied in Rome with Sebastiano Ricci, in Naples with
Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province of ...
and in Bologna, the leading artistic centers of Italy at the time. On his return to Austria, Troger first worked in
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...
from 1726 to 1728, where he painted the "Glory of
Saint Cajetan Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene (6 October 1480 – 7 August 1547), known as Saint Cajetan (), was an Italian Catholic priest and religious reformer, co-founder of the Theatines. He is recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church, and his feast day ...
" on the ceiling of St. Cajetan’s Church, Salzburg (1728). He afterwards established himself in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, where the art of ceiling frescoes was, however, dominated by Johann Michael Rottmayr and
Daniel Gran Daniel Gran (22 May 1694 in Vienna – 16 April 1757 in Sankt Pölten), was an Austrian painter. His pictures ornament several public buildings in his native city. He was of some consideration in his time and after a century of Italian domi ...
. Paul Troger became the favourite fresco painter in
Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...
n monasteries in collaboration with the architect
Josef Munggenast Josef Munggenast (5 March 1680 – 3 May 1741) was an Austrian architect and masterbuilder of the Baroque period. Munggenast was born in Schnann in Tyrol, the nephew of Jakob Prandtauer, who advanced his career and whose influence marked his st ...
. In 1753, he joined the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. Troger became professor and was made director of the Imperial Academy in 1754. His most prominent student was
Franz Anton Maulbertsch Franz Anton Maulbertsch (7 June 1724 – 8 August 1796) was an Austrian painter and engraver, one of the most renowned exponents of Rococo painting in the German and Hungarian regions. Maulbertsch was born in Langenargen and studied in the Aca ...
. His most important contribution to Austrian painting was to reject the strong dark palette, typical of the beginning of the 18th century, in favor of an increasingly lighter palette, typical of the new Rococo taste.


Works

Although he did many easel altar paintings and drawings, Paul Troger became famous for his frescoes and much in demand throughout the Austrian lands. Troger's frescoes are remarkable for their immense vitality of movement and their light colors. Noteworthy among them are the following ceiling paintings: * Frescoes of the Church of the Englische Fräulein in
St. Pölten ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
, (1729/1730); * Frescoes in large monastic buildings of
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 ...
: **
Melk Abbey Melk Abbey (german: Stift Melk) is a Benedictine abbey above the town of Melk, Lower Austria, Austria, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube river, adjoining the Wachau valley. The abbey contains the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the ...
*** Marble Hall and the library (1732–1733) **
Göttweig Abbey Göttweig Abbey (german: Stift Göttweig) is a Benedictine monastery near Krems in Lower Austria. It was founded in 1083 by Altmann, Bishop of Passau. History Göttweig Abbey was founded as a monastery of canons regular by Blessed Altmann (c ...
*** Apotheosis of Charles VI as Apollo over the main stairway (1739) **
Altenburg Abbey Altenburg Abbey (german: Stift Altenburg) is a Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Altenburg, Lower Austria. It is situated about to the north of Krems an der Donau in the Waldviertel. It was founded in 1144,by Countess Hildeburg o ...
*** Church, stairwell and library (1732–1734) **
Zwettl Abbey Zwettl Abbey (german: Stift Zwettl) is a Cistercian monastery located in Zwettl in Lower Austria, in the Diocese of St. Pölten. History Zwettl Abbey was founded in 1137 by Hadmar I of Kuenring, with Herrmann, a monk of Heiligenkreuz Abbey, as ...
(1733); ** Seitenstetten Abbey *** Marble hall (1735) and library (1740) **
Geras Abbey Geras Abbey (''Stift Geras'') is a Premonstratensian monastery in Geras in Lower Austria. Since 1783, it has also owned the premises of the former Pernegg Abbey nearby. History The abbey was founded in 1153 as a daughter house of Seelau Abbey ...
*** Marble hall (1738) * Frescoes for the church of nuns of the Order of Elizabeth, in
Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
(1740s) * Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius in St. Ignatius’ church in
Győr Győr ( , ; german: Raab, links=no; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia ...
, Hungary (1744; 1747) * Adoration of the Lamb in Brixen Cathedral with the connected White Tower, Italy (1748–1750) * ''Vision of St. Ulrich at the
Battle of Lechfeld The Battle of Lechfeld was a series of military engagements over the course of three days from 10–12 August 955 in which the Kingdom of Germany, led by King Otto I the Great, annihilated the Hungarian army led by ''Harka ''Bulcsú and the chi ...
'',
St Ulrich, Vienna ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
, main altar (1750) * Dome of the pilgrimage church of Maria Dreieichen near
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
(1752)


Notes


References

* * * * * *


External links


Works by Paul Troger in Slovak art collections


{{DEFAULTSORT:Troger, Paul 1698 births 1762 deaths 18th-century Austrian painters 18th-century Austrian male artists Austrian male painters People from Welsberg-Taisten Catholic painters