Sculptures

The decorative sculpture of the library area is the work of Josef Stammel (1695-1765) who served Admont Monastery for more than four decades.

Stammel’s works are still “typically Baroque” and are thus in a tense relationship to the rest of the room’s concept since with the “educational programme” of Bartolomeo Altomonte’s frescoes, the white bookcases and the particular brightness of the room resulting from the 48 windows - realized with the means of the Rococo period - a breath of a new epoch, the Enlightenment, can be felt.

Josef Stammel’s carvings are worked in bronzed limewood and through their motives and shining brown tones are still wholly in the spirit of the Baroque period. On the two narrow sides of the library and above the gallery are two great reliefs. That on the South side shows a well-known subject from the Old Testament: the Judgement of Solomon as the epitome of human wisdom.

As the New Testament pendant so to speak and the incorporation of Divine Wisdom, the North side shows Jesus teaching in the Temple. In the upper story of the two wings are - in high relief and so almost as if completely in the round - portraits of a total of eight biblical persons: on the South side the prophets Moses and Elijah with the apostles Peter and Paul opposite them, while the North side shows the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The central room contains no biblical figures but rather the personified portrayal in high relief of four women as the virtues: eternal truth (“veritas eterna”), Divine Wisdom (“sapientia divina”), good sense (“prudentia”) and science (“scientia”).

The indubitably best-known sculpture in the Admont Monastery library is the group “The Four Last Things”. Since about 1800 the four figures have stood opposite one another in the central room between pillars and bookcases, though not originally intended to be placed here. Death shows man as an old pilgrim who has reached the end of his life. A winged skeleton as the personification of death approaches him from behind.

The Last Judgement (the Resurrection) is symbolized by a beautiful youth who has just been awakened from the grave to eternal life and must now submit to the judgement of Christ. A lovely woman forms the allegory for Heaven. She is portrayed as God’s bride, crowned and clothed in Heavenly splendour and carried up by an angel.

Finally, Hell: portrayed as a male figure holding a snake ring in his right hand as a symbol of eternal damnation and being dragged down into hellfire by a frightening devil figure.

It should finally be mentioned that Josef Stammel also created a large number of smaller gilt busts which are mounted on the corner consoles of the bookcases. They show mythical and historical persons and personify the then known four corners of the earth.