Art
The sculpture collection shows two giant-sized, wooden sculptures of Saint Florian belonging to the master pieces of the early 14th century. They show the Monastery patron in knightly habitus, still without the typical, future attributes of a burning house and a tub.
The remarkable collection of glass paintings comprises 42 late-Gothic examples, amongst others panes from the former Carthusian Monastery at Gaming/Lower Austria showing a portrait of Duke Albrecht II. and his family. The pane "Holy Mary with the child" (around 1290?) is probably the only piece of art conserved of the Gothic Monastery church.
A main focus present the almost 100 panels of the 15th and 16th century. In 1508, Provost Petrus Maurer entrusted the painter Albrecht Altdorfer (from Regensburg/Germany) with the completion of the great Sebastian altar.
The late-Gothic winged altar once stood in a northern side altar of the Monastery basilica and is the show-piece of the Monastery gallery, today. The lustration document bears the date April 26, 1509, the still remaining document box containing the letters of indulgence dates back to 1522. The shrine and the carved sculptures were lost in the course of time. Today, there are 12 panels and 2 wings at the Monastery. The Sebastian altar, completed in 1518, is the sacral masterpiece of Albrecht Altdorfer belonging to the most precious treasures of the late Middle-Ages. Works of more masters of the genre called "Donauschule" (Lukas Cranach, Wolf Huber) complete the important Gothic collection.
Many paintings showing landscapes, still lives, animals and last but not least sacred paintings and portraits date from the following centuries. The main focus lies on works of Austrian Baroque artists like Bartolomeo and Martino Altomonte, Michael Wenzel Halbax, and Martin Johann Schmidt. In addition, works of further European artists, e.g. of Dutch and Flemish masters (Pieter Brueghel d.J., Joos van Craesbeeck) and of Italian masters (Angelo Maria Costa, Canaletto) complete the collection. Most of these tableaux are presented closely strung together in the three halls of the Baroque gallery, completed in 1751.
Lately, the comprehensive collection of oil paintings, drawings, and graphic arts by Hans Fronius, the Austrian artist who lived from 1903 to 1988, is worth seeing.
"Religious Collection - Hans Fronius" at the Monastery of St. Florian
For a number of years, the Monastery is proud to possess a respectable collection of works of the world-wide reputed Austrian painter, drawer, and graphic artist Hans Fronius (1903 1988).
Throughout his life the artist dealt with existential themes. In literary texts by F. Dostojewski, G. Büchner, E.A. Poe, H. de Balzac, and especially F. Kafka he found his inspiration for congenial interpretations. His presentations of landscapes depict also a profound depth and concernment.
In addition, the relevant texts of the bible prompted the artist highly interested in the fate of human beings to examine constantly two themes: involvements in blame mobilise the conscience (vide Saul, David, St. Peter); and prominent figures of pain, especially Job and Jesus, picking out the question of existence and of God. By no means Fronius does offer a striking (Christian) answer, in fact lamentation and scream are shown quite plainly. In front of such pictures, sensitive coevals may speculate their own restlessness and questionability.
The generous donations by the artist's widow (two dozens of oil paintings including drawings and graphical drawings, xylographs, lithographs, etchings) complete the Monastery collection since 1993. On request the pictures can be shown at guided tours.
