Two Sets of Letters by the Lesser -known Sculptor Josef Griessler (ca. 1708–1773)
Josef Griessler (around 1708 Vienna – 1773 Český Krumlov) is recognised in scholarly literature for his sculptural work for the so called Cascade fountain in the Český Krumlov castle garden. In addition to his other contributions to the Dolní Vltavice church, his remaining works are largely unknown. This paper presents two sets of total fourteen letters letters written by this sculptor during 1763–1765 in which he mainly describes his work on the high al tar in the Church of St Dominic in Strunkovice nad Blanicí but also ‘confesses’ to more contributions to Český Krumlov Castle, namely four sculptures on the castle bridges previously attributed to Jan Antonín Zinner (1698–1763) or in Bavorov. Furthermore, these let ters uncover several issues associated with handling commissions and sculptural processes.
Keywords: Josef Griessler – baroque sculpture – 2nd half of the 18th century – Český Krumlov – Jan Antonín Zinner – Strunkovice nad Blanicí – Bavorov
Published: January 1, 2026 Show citation
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