Fischer von Erlach, Johann Bernhard( 1656 – 1723 )
Le Grunst Palace Royal sketches, Albertina, Inv. 26392 fol. 26 , Codex Montenuovo,
Approx. 8 12 in., Pencil and ink on paperClassically educated Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, architect for the affluent Austrian mon-
archy, transformed the baroque into the more ornate rococo. Fischer von Erlach was born in Graz,
Austria. As a young man he studied in Italy for almost a decade. There he worked under Phillipp
Schor and discovered the writings of Vitruvius and other Renaissance architects. While studying the
art of metals with G. F. Travani, he met the Jesuit Athanasius Kircher, stimulating a fascination with
the archaeology of Egyptian artifacts. Returning to Vienna in 1678 – a time of prosperity and power
for Austria – he was prepared to begin his career with the combined skills of an architect, sculptor,
medallist, archeologist, and theorist. He joined the royal court in 1694 , beginning a long relationship
with both Joseph I and Charles VI. In 1705 Fischer von Erlach was appointed Chief Imperial Inspector
of royal building (ensuring him royal commissions), a position he held the remainder of his life. His
extensive travels in the early 1700 s most likely prompted his writing of Entwurf einer Historischen
Architektur, published in 1712 (Briggs, 1967 ; Benevolo, 1978 ; Millon, 1961 ).
Combining ancient lessons with the contemporary work of Italian baroque architecture, Fischer
von Erlach’s most celebrated project was Karlskirche in Vienna, 1715 – 1733. The lower portion of the
façade evokes a classical theme, where he placed columns and a pediment resembling the Pantheon.
Fischer von Erlach’s other built work includes: Schönbrunn Palace, Kollegienkirche, Dreifaltkeitskirche,
and the Frain Palace in Moravia for Johann Michael II.
From viewing the extensive collection of existing drawings and sketches by Fischer von Erlach a
few general conclusions can be ascertained. His freehand sketches exhibit a light touch where the
abstraction of the forms prevents lines from intersecting. They give the impression that he was hold-
ing the drawing media extremely loosely, as if it was independent of his hand.
The single line sketches (Figure 2.7) include details, elevations, and three-dimensional images.
They are crowded on the page and seem to fill every available space. Drawn with both graphite and
ink, it is probable that he moved easily between the two media. The subject matter of the page makes
it remarkable. The axonometric and perspective sketches explore variations for the design of a very
large project, seen from a bird’s-eye view. The words written across the top in script read Le Grunst
Palace Royal July.One can see vast walled gardens connected to a building complex. Constructed in
perspective, one variation demonstrates a rectangular study, while the unfinished example in the
foreground consists of an elliptical arcade. The page has been strewn with beginnings of ponds, fol-
lies and sculptural monuments.
The large scale of the projects required that Fischer von Erlach sketch quite small; it would seem
that his technique grew out of necessity. An architect of Palaces, at some point in his design process he
needed to envision each project as a unified whole. Viewing the geometries and relationships of the
entire project answered questions pertaining to the composite vision. It has been recorded that Fischer
von Erlach traveled to the Prussian court of Frederick I with a proposal for an extravagant palace (Van
Vynckt, 1993 ). Although unable to gain a commission, a project of that size mandated tremendous
vision and design exploration. Whether or not this sketch represents the beginning thoughts for this
palace, the disparate alternatives seem to be conceived without a definitive site or program. They sug-
gest a search for form in the manner of a fantasy, an attempt to entice or persuade. They could express
the first search for a theme before a site was selected or surveyed. Typical of the baroque, controlling
nature through parterres and walled courts, the site may actually have had the least influence on the
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