- Johann Joseph Christian
Johann Joseph Christian (born
12 February 1706 inRiedlingen ; died22 June 1777 in Riedlingen) was a German Baroque sculptor and woodcarver. His masterworks are considered to be thechoir stalls inZwiefalten Abbey andOttobeuren Abbey .Christian's rare double gift as a woodworker and
stucco sculptor was equaled only byJoseph Anton Feuchtmayer . In 1744 Christian received a commission to work in Zwiefalten Abbey, where until 1755 he created the choir stalls and numerous stucco figures for thehigh altar andnave and side chapels, working alongside the painterFranz Joseph Spiegler and the stucco masterJohann Michael Feuchtmayer and under the direction of the architectJohann Michael Fischer .Subsequently, Christian was commissioned to work on the abbatial church of the
Holy Trinity inOttobeuren Abbey , for which the architect was once again Fischer and for which Christian created the choir stalls, with gilded reliefs, and the organ reliefs. Once again he worked with Spiegler and J. M. Feuchtmayer.Besides these two major works, he also worked on various smaller projects, including the parish church in
Unlingen and the abbey church in Buchau.Christian and his wife had 10 children, of whom five survived infancy. His son Karl Anton Christian (1731–1810) became abbot of
St. Trudpert's Abbey near Münstertal in theBlack Forest , and for this church J. J. Christian created a relief painting using a stucco technique for the high altar that is considered unparalleled. ["Germany: A Phaidon Cultural Guide". Oxford: Phaidon, 1985. p. 648. ISBN 0-7148-2354-6.] Another son, Franz Joseph Christian (1739–1798), became a sculptor and took over his father's workshop in Riedlingen.Major Works
*Münstertal—
St. Trudpert's Abbey (high altar)
*Ottobeuren —Ottobeuren Abbey , church of the Holy Trinity, (choir stalls and organ reliefs)
*Wiblingen Abbey —church of St. Martin (choir stalls, created along with his son Franz Joseph)
*Zwiefalten —Zwiefalten Abbey (choir stalls, high altar, and almost all other sculpture)References
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