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ROCOCO:OTTOBEURENPereenArchitectureTheCass2018/2019Unit14d’AvoinePierred’AvoineBASILICA
Tunde Oyebode Diploma of
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3 TheTripIntroductionMapBirthof Rococo The Rococo of Bavarian Germany The Style of Bavarian Rococo The Church of Ottobeuren Abbey Traversing through the Church of Ottobeuren Abbey BibliographyBibliography of Figures312924161412875 Contents Rococo Booklet.indd 3 27/05/2019 10:56
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Monday, November 12th to Monday, November 19th marks the period of Unit 14s trip to Berlin and Munich in 2018. Berlin predominantly entailed visits to Baugruppe projects and riverside developments, from the 12th to the 16th. We mostly walked to these sites with the occasional help of trains, buses and Ubers when walking seemed too tiring. We never left the city of Berlin during this period. From the 16th to the 19th of November we visited Late Baroque or Rococo Architecture, with the aid of rented cars. We were in the city of Munich but actually spent little time there, instead, we drove to neighbouring towns to awe, admire and most importantly study and document these architectural fits. This booklet contains research into the emergence and fruition of the Rococo in the 18th century and its height in Bavaria, Germany. Introduction
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The trip to Bavaria was divided into three groups, driving from Munich to the destinations. My group, West group, was Dylan RadcliffeBrown, Jess Phillips, Ollie Riviere and I. The churches in question were quintessential examples of Rocco in Germany and each student were required to choose one of their visited churches and draw and analyse each. The map on the next locates the churches we visited and their proximity to Munich and central Europe.
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7 MUNICH AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND Fürstenfeldbruck Innsbruck Reutlingen Ulm Günzburg Biberach Memmingen Ottobeuren Friedrichshafen Ravensburg Steinhausen Danube Iller Lech Isar Church Location Arrival Location Rococo Booklet.indd 7 27/05/2019 10:56
8 Rococo was a highly ornamental and theatrical style, with the intention of astonishing and arousing strong emotions; helped with the use of curves, light pastel colours, sculpted mouldings and touches of gold. It was marked by lightness and delicacy. Its origin is said to be the style of decoration “invented in France for private houses and reached its maturity roughly in the period of 1725 to 1740.”1 “It marked a complete break in the style of Louis XIV’s (Louis the Great) reign.”2 Decorations of gilded plaster and mirrors enlivened otherwise simple rooms of formal and geometrical style. “The word Rococo is derived from rocaille, a term used to describe the shell-incrusted rocky surface of artificial grottos.”3 Chateau de la Menagerie famed as the first exemplary or such interiors was a room decorated in “light-hearted fantasia of birds, monkeys, ribbons, tendrils, masks, and other playfulness by the painter Claude Andran,”4 who worked for Louis XIV. This style reached its peak not in France but in Bavaria and is exemplified by the works of Johann Baptist Zimmerman.
1Anthony Blunt. Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration (London: Paul Elek Ltd, 1978), 17. 2Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 17 3Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 19 Rococo Booklet.indd 8 27/05/2019 10:56
The Birth of Rococo
The spirit of Rococo is exemplified in the various branches of decorative arts. It was not unusual for painters and sculptors to produce tapestry and porcelain designs. The French artist Francois Boucher (1703-70), a favourite of Mme de Pompadour, is a good example. Court painter to Louis XV and director of the Gobelins tapestry factory from 1755, he also completed various commissions from the interior decoration of chateaux of Marly and Fountainebleau to stage settings for the opera and designs for domestic objects.
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Born in Lyon into a family of artists, he was the painter and decorative artist for Louis XIV of France (Louis the Great) in 1699. He was pivotal in the decorations of many important buildings in France, Menagerie of Versailles, Chapels of Versailles and the Palace of Fontainebleau and often dabbled in the making of tapestry.
Figure 1: Tapestry, The Gods: Jupiter , Claude Audran III
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Figure 3: Interior, Hotel de Soubise, Paris, 1735-40 Figure 2: Interior, Hotel de Soubise, Paris, 1735-40
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The interiors of the Hotel de Soubise by Germain Boffrand created between 1735-40 in Paris is a perfect example of the high points of Rococo Style in France. Its gilded carvings and mirrorglass embedded in the boiserie and ceiling and over doors are perfect examples of dramatic gestures that enliven dull rooms.
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Figure 4: Hall of Mirrors, Amalienburg Pavillion, Munich, 1734-39
This single-storey hunting lodge by Francois de Cuvillies is one of the most perfect examples of secular Rococo. The circular room at the centre, designed by John Baptist Zimmermann is lined with mirrors, which heighten the sense of lightness and movement.
4Jonathan Glancey, Architecture (London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2000), 88. 5Henrey-Russell Hitchcock. Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany (London: Phaidon Press Ltd,1968), 1 6Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 218 7Hitchcock, Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany, 1 8“Germain Boffrand,” Wikipedia, Last modified April 8, 2018. En.Wikipedia.Org. https://en.wikipedia. 9org/wiki/Germain_BoffrandHitchcock, Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany, 2 10Hitchcock, Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany, 2 Rococo Booklet.indd 12 27/05/2019 10:56
Joseph Clemens on the other hand, while in exile at the French court was in continuous correspondence with Robert de Cotte a French architect also quite involved in the early Rococo Style of royal buildings in France, concerning the building projects in Bonn close to Cologne.10
The Rococo of Bavarian Germany
The Rococo of Bavaria owes its fruition and summit to a plurality of experience and training of various building professionals i.e. Architects, Engineers, Artists and Craftsmen, as well as the political climate of the early 18th Century.
Elector Max Emmanuel and Joseph Clemens, brothers, and both members of the Wittelsbach Family, the royal family of Bavaria, were in exile in France during the Battle of Blenheim while allied forces occupied their territories, largely halting the construction of buildings in Bavaria.5 This was as a result of their alliance with France during the War of Spanish Succession. This could account “for much of the gilded and silvered magnificence of apartments in the palaces built by Max Emmanuel”6 after the war in 1714, but probably is most clearly and directly linked to Max Emmanuel’s arrangement of Joseph Effner to study garden-design in Paris.7 Effner’s interest shifted to architecture, presumably the most popular French architecture at the time, Rococo, and this lead him to work for Germain Boffrand a French Architect who is credited as one of the main creators of the precursor to Rococo called the style Regence.8 Effner’s influence was strengthened by his appointment as the Elector’s court-architect in 1715 and was later further diversified by his study trip to Italy.9
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Its interior, highly ornamental, contrasts the Baroque exterior. The palace was the main summer residence of the former rulers of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach and was designed by Agostino Barelli. Enrico Zucalli, Giovanni Antonio Viscardi and Joseph Effner were the contributors to the interior.
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Figure 5: Nymphenburg Palace King Ludwig II, Munich, 1664-1675
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technique now developed using stucco took on a three-dimensional existence and became the method of transforming churches, Medieval or Baroque into works of Rococo. This method complimented the popular Italian renaissance painting technique of two-dimensional Frescoes, bringing them to life, enhancing the sense of illusionism in the high dome-shaped ceilings of the Catholic churches. These techniques became useful in achieving the effect that the royalty and church in Bavaria wanted for their important buildings, opulence and astonishment, and enlivened somewhat dull spaces without the need for total reconstruction which was often avoided for reasons of sentiment, expense and convenience.
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Stuccoers and architects practising in the south of Germany can be credited for the flourishing of Rococo in Germany and its characteristic change from the domestic scale of French and early German work to the monumental scale of great abbeys and pilgrimage churches which exemplify Rococo today.11
Architects like the Zimmermann brothers and Joseph Schmuzer trained in the Wessobrunn School, learned these techniques as well as Scagliola, an Italian Baroque technique of imitating marble, to cheaply create the desired astonishing effect that adorns the churches of Bavaria.14
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The Style of Bavarian Rococo
Wessobrunn Abbey is especially important in the formation of the distinctive characteristics of the Bavarian Rococo, fostering plaster craftsmen in the Wessobrunn School of Stuccadors.12 The school led to the union of a collective of artistic geniuses ranging from sculptors to masons. The masons were influenced by the work of the sculptors and in partnership developed a distinctive “acanthus-based decorative repertoire”13 that is no doubt influenced by the French ornamental Thisengravings.decorative
11Hitchcock, Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany, 6 12Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 230 13Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 230 14Blunt, Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration, 230 Rococo Booklet.indd
The monastery was founded around 753 and is pivotal in the formation of the Wessobrunner School a group of Baroque stucco-workers beginning at the end of the 17th century. The Wessobrunner stucco-workers exerted a decisive influence on, and at times even dominated, the art of stucco in south Germany in the 18th century.
Figure 6: Kloster Wessobrunn, Weilheim, Bavaria, Germany
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Furthermore architects Joseph Schmuzer and Joseph Effner worked on the building. They both made no significant changes but began the construction process as foundations were already in place. Joseph Effner’s greatest contribution was the introduction of the four great columns against the convex façade that Kramer had proposed as well square dome sanctuary for the choir.22 Fischer’s contribution to the project when he took over in 1748 when construction had already begun, involved bringing back the oval domes above the choir and providing two chapels of equal width on each side of the nave. His sanctuary over choir with the rounded corners is sort of a compromise between Kramer’s apsidal end and Effner’s square chamber.23
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The Church of Ottobeuren Abbey 15Hitchcock, Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany, 177 16ibid., 177 17ibid., 175 18ibid., 198 19ibid., 198 20ibid., 199 232221ibid.,199ibid.,199ibid.,200 7: Ottobeuren Church Section, Bavaria, Germany onwards)
Crucifix shaped in plan and elevated on top of a hill and flanked to the east by a Baroque style monastery is the church of the Ottobeuren Abbey, Johann Michael Fischer’s grandest work, which was completed in 1755 in the town of Ottobeuren, Bavaria. Its interior is a riot of painting (Fresco), stuccowork and sculpture. Although Fischer is mostly credited for the Ottobeuren Abbey church, multiple hands had a play in its fruition. A son of a mason, he was born in Burglengenfeld and received his earliest training from his father, and was later trained in Bohemia, combining Bohemian elements with Bavarian Baroque elements in his work.15 His Bavarian Baroque influence may have most likely come from his move to Munich in 1718 and his work with the city’s Master Mason, Johann Mayr.16 His work, as well as many of the works of Bavarian architects, is characterised by a stylistic ambiguity: was his work Baroque or was it Rococo? Some historians/writers sometimes identified his work as ‘Barococo.’17 The church of the Ottobeuren Abbey exemplifies this dilemma. Its façade is essentially Baroque with Rococo additions made between 1761-1762, to the façade by Johann Michael Feichtmayr, a well-known collaborator of Fischer and Stuccoist of Wessobrunn, in form of figures, artificially painted concrete blocks and vibrant colours. He was also the head artist in charge of the stucco decoration of the interior of Ottobeuren church. J.J Zeiller, on the other hand, is credited with the painting of the frescos in 1763 a year after the consecration of the church.18 Monk Christoph Vogt made the original plans for the monastery and the abbey’s church in 1704, in which Abbot Rupert Ness in 1710 consequently took over with no serious development of the project in the later years until Andrea Maini a north Italian stuccoer-architect was handed the plans in 1715.19 His input was largely in the design of the library in the monastery along with J.B. Zimmermann and the introduction of a centralised dome. In 1732 Dominikus Zimmerman also offered plans for the church. His design essentially entailed big rotunda’s flanked east and west by aisled and domed squares. He also proposed western towers beyond the line of the aisles to frame a concave façade that would be decorated with columns rather in the discreet way of a Baroque exemplary, St Carlo alle Quattro Fontana, Rome.20 Thus far actual construction had not Simpertstarted.Kramer then worked on the plans of the church between 1736-1739 by reducing the width of the rotundas and extending all four arms—western nave, eastern choir and transepts, and making them apsidal. He also introduced the convex façade and moved the western towers in slightly.21
Figure
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(1737
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The robustness and the symmetry are seen in the facade and exterior treatment of the building. The Large pillars, towers and defined windows are unquestionably Baroque.
Figure 9: Ottobeuren church, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards)
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There are signs of Rococo influences in the facade of the building. The pillars attached to the protruding belly are painted pink and the Trompe-l’œil technique is used to playful mimic blockwork.
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Figure 10: Ottobeuren Church, Elevation Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards)
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Figure
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The distance to the High Altar is a long one, amplified by the illusionistic domes and perfectly aligned pews. 11: Ottobeuren Church Nave, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards)
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Figure 12: Ottobeuren Church Frescoes, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards)
The ceiling frescoes by Michael Feichtmayr employ the Chiaroscuro and Trompe-l’œil, which warp the perception of depth. The frescoes are then finished with gilding and Scagliola which emulate opulent materials.
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The swooping curves of the stucco work are also translated in the wood carved pews of the Basilica
Figure 13: Ottobeuren Church, Pews, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 Onwards)
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Figure 14: Ottobeuren Church, Preserved Saints, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards)
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The bones of four catacomb saints covered by gilded charms rest in gilded glass shrines. The bones are located at the foot of the four pillars at the front of the church, exemplifying four basic human virtues of valour, wisdom, temperance, and justice.
The journey then terminates at the triune, crucified one, who has redeemed all. This takes form of the High Altar of gold candles and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He is the destination of the hike through the interior. Beyond the Altar is the final Fresco and Stuccowork of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, located at the end of the choir space. His resurrection opens the gate to paradise (eternal life), opening earthly reality to the sky (heaven), which is depicted above in the ceiling Frescos. The final ascension to the Fresco of Ascension is in form of 11 stairs leading to the elevated choir.
Traversing through the Church of Ottobeuren Abbey
The buildings importance is demonstrated through its location on an elevated gentle ridge, which is accessed by stairs from the neighbouring market. This importance is further heightened by the robust presence of the buildings elevation, at least 53 metres high from the bottom to the tip of the radiant triangle with the eye in it at the top of the façade, dominating the valley of the western Günz. This is the beginning of its dramatic gesture. Its most glaring act is the protruding convex form of the façade flanked by two muscular clock towers adorned with golden crosses at the top, denoting its presence as a Christian Church. If the convex façade and the towers presence are not triumphant enough, four great columns, added by Joseph Effner, against the belly of the façade accentuate the grandeur of the building as well as the Christian Church. The enormity of the façade is at first intimidating but as you navigate from the stairs of the market square to the stairs of church through three mighty portals with finely carved doors on the protruding façade, you are gradually invited into a triumphant space, which spares no awe. Is this not essentially what Baroque and Rococo seeks to do? Its façade was in a sense Rococofied, by J.M. Feichtmayr: painting the great columns pink, the crosses and clock hands gold and the use of the trompe-l’oeil technique of painted stone and window details, creating a dramatic and theatrical optical illusion. In the presence of this complexity a simplicity or practical solution can be seen in the symmetry of the building.
Once inside connotations to the divine healing of Christianity is immediately experienced, firstly through the journey of ascending into the Church (the divine space) using the stairs and secondly by the darkness of the entrance hall compared to the brightness of the long interior. Man is full of sin (darkness) and through the incarnation of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, they are redeemed and receive a share in the divine life (brightness).
The journey through the church begins at the northwest facing façade. Its composition is a balance between dramatic gesture and practical solution, an inherent characteristic of Baroque Architecture.
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The nave of the church (long interior) is made up of 2x10 wall pillars and three frescoed cupolas depicting scenes of heaven, which display the monumental solemnity of divinity and are suggestive of the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, which help to find God.
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The High Altar, the destination of the hike through the interior.
Figure 15: Ottobeuren Abbey, High Altar, Ottobeuren, Bavaria, Germany (1737 onwards )
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27 Final Fresco Rococo Booklet.indd 27 27/05/2019 10:57
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Bibliography Blunt, Anthony. Baroque and Rococo: Architecture and Decoration. London: Paul Elek Ltd, 1978 Glancey, Jonathan, Architecture: London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2000 Hitchcock, Henry-Russell. Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany. London: Phaidon Press Ltd,1968 Wikipedia. “Germain Boffrand.” Last modified April 8, 2018. En.Wikipedia.Org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germain_Boffrand
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7. J.M Fischer. Ottobeuren Section, Hand Drawing. From htmltranslate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sueddeutscher-barock.ch%2FIn-Werke%2Fh-r%2FOttobeuren_Kirche.https://translate.google.co.uk/
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8. J.M Fischer. Ottobeuren Basilica Plan. 1755, Hand Drawing. From: Henry-Russell Hitchcock. Rococo Architecture in Southern Germany. London: Phaidon Press Ltd,1968. Page 200 9. Tunde Oyebode. Side Facade, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University 10. Markus Brunneti, Ottobeuren Elevation, 2015, Photograph. From, facades-a-complex-and-detailed-look-at-some-of-the-churches-around-europe-photos.htmlhttps://slate.com/culture/2015/08/markus-brunettis11. Tunde Oyebode. Church Nave, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University 12. Tunde Oyebode. Church Frescoes, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University 13. Tunde Oyebode. Church Pews, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University 14. Tunde Oyebode. Preserved Saints, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University 15. Tunde Oyebode. High Altar, Ottobeuren Basilica. 2018, Photograph, London Metropolitan University
6. Kloster Wessobrunn, Photograph. From, php?lang=en&page=search&s=wessobrunn&smode=0&zoom=1&display=5&sortby=1&bgcolour=whitehttps://www.robertharding.com/index.
3. Hôtel de Soubise, Paris, Prince of Soubise Chamber, Photograph. From, https://a-l-ancien-regime.tumblr.com/ post/13496908387/hôtel-de-soubise-paris-prince-of-soubise
2. Hôtel de Soubise, Paris, last edited 2012, Photograph. From, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Salon_de_la_princesse_ hotel_de_soubise.jpg
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1. Claude Audran III. The Gods: Jupiter Tapestry, last edited 2018, Tapestry, Wikipedia. From,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Claude_Audran_III
4. Hall of Mirrors, Amalienburg Pavillion, 2000, Scan of Photograph. From Glancey, Jonathan, Architecture: London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2000 5. Nymphenburg Palace, last edited 2018, Photograph. From, https://badt.us
Bibliography of Figures
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33 The End Rococo Booklet.indd 33 27/05/2019 10:57
contents created and collated by Tunde Oyebode
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