Johann-Georg Bendl
Encyclopedia
Johann-Georg Bendl (ˈjohan ˈɡɛorɡ ˈbɛndl̩) or Jan Jiří Bendl (ˈjan ˈjɪr̝iː ˈbɛndl̩) (before 1620 - Prague
, 27 May 1680) was a Baroque
sculptor mainly at work in Prague
. He was the son of the Bohemian
sculptor Georg Bendl (born ca. 1570, in Prague, died 1656).
The wooden pulpit
(now destroyed) of the St. Wenceslas church (of the Augustinian Order
) in Prague was probably one of his earliest works. He also sculpted the pulpit in the church Kostel Panny Marie pod Řetězem in the Prague
district Malá Strana
.
All the most important churches in Prague eventually would order one or more statues.
He was commissioned in 1650 by Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
to produce in Prague a sculpture of the Immaculate Conception to commemorate the Peace of Westphalia
ending the Thirty Years' War
in 1648.
His monumental Marian column
(1650) on the Old Town Square
in Prague
(destroyed in 1918
) would set an example of Baroque style for the next decades. Remaining part can be seen at the Lapidarium of the National Museum of Prague.
He sculpted six statues of the Doctors of the Church in 1659.
The high-quality bronzed statues of St. Jerome and Mary Magdalen in the Chapel of St. Vincent Ferrer (Dominican church
, Vienna) were produced by his workshop.
He decorated the façade of the St. Salvator Church in Prague with several statues : (on top) Christ with the four Evangelists, (below) Mary, the Doctors of the Church and Jesuit saints.
In 1662 he sculpted the statue of Saint Wenceslaus
in the old deanery of the St. Vitus Cathedral
of the Prague Castle
. He added to the façade of the St. George Basilica the statues of the founders of the church : Vratislaus I of Bohemia
and Mlada, founder of the convent.
In 1670 he sculpted the Hercules and Cerberus fountain for the imperial garden in the Belvedere of the same castle, setting again a stylistic example for Bohemian sculpture
His last known works are two statues of the national patron saint Saint Wenceslaus
(between 1676 and 1678), one on a column near the Charles Bridge
and an equestrian statue on Wenceslas Square
(transferred to Vyšehrad
in 1879) .
He is considered the first important Bohemian Baroque sculptor. His sculptural style was imitated by many successors.
Some of his statues can be seen at the National Gallery in the St. George Convent in the Prague Castle
.
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, 27 May 1680) was a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
sculptor mainly at work in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. He was the son of the Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
sculptor Georg Bendl (born ca. 1570, in Prague, died 1656).
The wooden pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
(now destroyed) of the St. Wenceslas church (of the Augustinian Order
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
) in Prague was probably one of his earliest works. He also sculpted the pulpit in the church Kostel Panny Marie pod Řetězem in the Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
district Malá Strana
Malá Strana
Malá Strana is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic regions.The name translated into English literally means "Little Side", though it is frequently referred to as "Lesser Town", "Lesser Quarter", or "Lesser Side"...
.
All the most important churches in Prague eventually would order one or more statues.
- In 1648 he sculpted the statues for side chapels in the Church of Our Lady of TýnChurch of Our Lady in front of TýnThe Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century...
, the church on the main square of Prague. - He decorated the domeDomeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
of the St. Salvator church of the Jesuit Order in Prague with stuccoStuccoStucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
in the period 1648-1649. This would later bring in new orders from these Jesuits in 1655-1660 to sculpt the stone statues for the porticoPorticoA portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and the pedimentPedimentA pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
of the façade; at the end of his life, in 1675, he would carve a series of wooden statues of Apostles for confessionals for the same church. - Around 1650 he sculpted a number of wooden angels for the Servite OrderServite OrderThe Servite Order is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. Its objects are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation of devotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. The members of the Order use O.S.M. as their post-nominal...
, now on display in St. George's Convent, National Gallery in PragueNational Gallery in PragueThe National Gallery in Prague is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, Czech Republic. It is housed in different locations within the city, the largest being the Veletržní Palác....
. - Again in 1650 he was asked to make the statues for the main altar of the Church of the Holy Cross (now on the high altar of the St. Jindrich's (St. Henry's) church).
- St. Henry's church : carved statue of a saint (1650s) (now at the City Museum of Prague)
- St. Stephen's Church (1678): statue of a saint for the high altar
He was commissioned in 1650 by Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
to produce in Prague a sculpture of the Immaculate Conception to commemorate the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
ending the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in 1648.
His monumental Marian column
Marian and Holy Trinity columns
Marian columns are religious monuments built in honour of the Virgin Mary, often in thanksgiving for the ending of a plague or for some other help. The purpose of the Holy Trinity columns was usually simply to celebrate the church and the faith. However, the plague motif could sometimes play its...
(1650) on the Old Town Square
Old Town Square (Prague)
Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague in the Czech Republic at .Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(destroyed in 1918
1918 in architecture
The year 1918 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* Hallidie Building is built in San Francisco. Designed by Willis Polk. Credited as the first glass curtain wall building....
) would set an example of Baroque style for the next decades. Remaining part can be seen at the Lapidarium of the National Museum of Prague.
He sculpted six statues of the Doctors of the Church in 1659.
The high-quality bronzed statues of St. Jerome and Mary Magdalen in the Chapel of St. Vincent Ferrer (Dominican church
Dominikanerkirche (Vienna)
The Church of St. Maria Rotunda, also known as Vienna's Dominican Church , is an early Baroque parish church and minor basilica in the historic center of Vienna, Austria...
, Vienna) were produced by his workshop.
He decorated the façade of the St. Salvator Church in Prague with several statues : (on top) Christ with the four Evangelists, (below) Mary, the Doctors of the Church and Jesuit saints.
In 1662 he sculpted the statue of Saint Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Wenceslaus I , or Wenceslas I, was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel....
in the old deanery of the St. Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus Cathedral
Saint Vitus' Cathedral is as a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The full name of the cathedral is St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral...
of the Prague Castle
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here...
. He added to the façade of the St. George Basilica the statues of the founders of the church : Vratislaus I of Bohemia
Vratislaus I of Bohemia
Vratislaus I , a scion of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duke of Bohemia from 915 to 921.He was the son of Duke Borivoj I of Bohemia by his wife Ludmila, and the younger brother of Duke Spytihnev I....
and Mlada, founder of the convent.
In 1670 he sculpted the Hercules and Cerberus fountain for the imperial garden in the Belvedere of the same castle, setting again a stylistic example for Bohemian sculpture
His last known works are two statues of the national patron saint Saint Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Wenceslaus I , or Wenceslas I, was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, purportedly in a plot by his own brother, Boleslav the Cruel....
(between 1676 and 1678), one on a column near the Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century...
and an equestrian statue on Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings...
(transferred to Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is a castle located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was probably built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River...
in 1879) .
He is considered the first important Bohemian Baroque sculptor. His sculptural style was imitated by many successors.
Some of his statues can be seen at the National Gallery in the St. George Convent in the Prague Castle
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here...
.