Altar
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A Neo-Gothic altar

A masterpiece in sandstone

The polychrome or multi-coloured high altar in sandstone is a significant Classicist work from the German painter and sculptor Andreas Halbig (1807-1869).

Halbig works on the enormous altar, reminiscent of an over-dimensional monstrance, from 1857 until his death in 1869. The altar is actually intended for Vienna’s Neo-Gothic Votive Church, which is being built near the emerging Ringstraße by the German architect Heinrich von Ferstel (1828-1883) from 1857.

But Ferstel rejects Halbig’s work – it is simply too big for the Votive Church. So the altar is put into the long, 3-aisle Augustinian Church in 1873, 4 years after Halbig’s death.

During the 1997-1999 restorations, the original, multi-coloured appearance is restored to the stone high altar, which is the 5th altar in the history of the Augustinian Church.

At its centre Halbig’s work shows Christ as the ruler of the world surrounded by angels and an elaborate series of figures. On the predella, the area below the main image, appear the 2 central scenes from the life of Christ, His Birth and Death.

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