Prunksaal (State Hall), Austrian National Library (1726)*

Artist/Designer: Joseph Emanuel

Project Location: Austria

Figure 1: State Hall. Source: Clazzen, Las Bibliotecas mas hermosas del Mundo: HofBibliotek (Austria). 2013, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Figure 2: State Hall. Source: Jon Reid, Baroque Library. 2013, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Figure 3: State Hall. Source: Richard Silver, Austrian National Library Ceiling, Vienna 3. 2013, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Figure 4: State Hall. Source: Marc Haegeman, Baroque Library. 2013, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Figure 5: State Hall. Source: Richard Silver, Austrian National Library Ceiling, Vienna 6. 2013, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Figure 6: State Hall. Source: Cheylene, Prunksaal. 2012, Digital Image. ( Source | Accessed : March 7, 2014 )

Style/Period(s):
Baroque

Primary Material(s):
Stone, Plaster, Wood, Paint

Function(s):
Library

Related Website(s):

http://www.onb.ac.at/ev/state_hall.htm

http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/tel4/contributor/P01252

Significant Date(s):
18th Century

Additional Information:
Title(s): Prunksaal (State Hall). Designer/Architect: Begun by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and finished by Joseph Emanuel, Frescoes by Daniel Gran. Location: Austrian National Library, Vienna

The Prunksaal (State Hall) was built between 1723 to 1726 by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and his son, Joseph Emmanuel, following his death. Founded by the Habsburgs, the two story tall library was originally called the Hofbibliothek and housed more than 200,000 venerable volumes of work including books from the monastery of the Conventual Franciscans. The hall's collection is divided according to wall frescoes above the shelves of war and peace. Now the central structure of the old imperial library, the Pruksaal provides a connection to the Hofburg and St. Augustine’s church forming Josefsplatz (Joseph Square).

The domed marble interior includes a fresco on the central cupola by court painter, Daniel Gran, completed in 1730 depicting the apotheosis of Emperor Charles VI, founder of the imperial library. Surrounding the image of the Emperor are allegorical figures symbolizing the virtues and wealth of the Habsburgs. Under the dome stands a statue of Charles VI in Roman attire; a series of sixteen additional marble statues of emperors, by Paul and Peter Strudel, stand between the paired columns that mark of the space. Four large globes, by Vincenzo Coronelli, work to emphasize the extent of the Habsburg’s domain.

Further Reading:
Heartz, Daniel. Haydn, Mozart, and the Viennese School, 1740-1780. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994.
Kubadinow, Irina. The Austrian National Library. Munich: Prestel, 2004.
Meth-Cohn, Delia and Guido Vitali. Vienna: Art and History. Prague: Flow East, 1993.

Additional Information
Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Wien, Austria

Supporting Designers/Staff
Wing begun by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in 1721
Finished by Joseph Emannuel in 1723-1726 following Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (his father's) death in 1723
Sculptures by Lorenzo Mattielli
Wall frescoes by Daniel Gran
Statue of Emperors Charles VI by Peter Strudel and Paul Strudel
Four large globes by Vincenzo Coronelli
Iron ring for support added by Nikolaus Pacassi, court architect
Memorial frescoe by Franz Anton Maulbertsch.

Significant Dates:
Worked on between 1721-1730

Associated Projects:
Austrian National Library

Tags:

Austria, Baroque, Library, Libraries, Wood, Paint,

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