Emanuel Max, after 1876: Ritter von Wachstein (19 October 1810, Janov[1] – 22 February[2] 1901, Prague) was a sculptor un the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary. His brother was the sculptor Josef Max.

Emanuel Max
Statue of Saint Christopher, Charles Bridge
Radetzky Monument (c. 1900). It was taken down in 1919 and is currently on display in the National Museum

Life edit

Max was born into a family of sculptors and woodcarvers and received his first lessons from his father. He later studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, under Joseph Bergler and František Kristian Waldherr [cs]. The academy did not have a sculpture department at that time, so he also studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts with Johann Nepomuk Schaller and Franz Käßmann (1760–1833).

From 1839 to 1849, he lived in Italy, where he improved his knowledge of the old masters and came under the influence of newer masters, such as Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen. He also honed his technical skills by carving Carrara marble. When he returned to Prague, he opened his own successful sculpting workshop and got married.

He was named a Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph in 1858 and a member of the Order of the Iron Crown (Class III) in 1875. The following year, he was knighted by Emperor Franz Joseph and given the noble appellation "von Wachstein".[3]

Selected works edit

References edit

  1. ^ Toman Prokop, Nový slovník československých výtvarných umělců (New Dictionary of Czechoslovak Artists), Vol.2, Rudolf Ryšavý, Prague (1950)
  2. ^ Miloš Szabo, Pražské hřbitovy. Olšanské hřbitovy III., Libri, Prague (2011) ISBN 978-80-7277-487-6
  3. ^ Karel Vavřínek, Almanach českých šlechtických a rytířských rodů 2008 (Almanac of Czech Noble Families) Martin, Brandýs nad Labem (2007) ISBN 978-80-85955-36-1

Further reading edit

  • Emanuel Max, Zweiundachtzig Lebensjahre. (Eighty-two Years of Life), H. Dominicus, Prague 1893
  • Ottův slovník naučný, (Otto's encyclopedia), Max Emanuel, sochař. Vol.16, pg.1017
  • Petr Wittlich, Sochařství, in: Praha národního probuzení (Prague, National Awakening) (ed. Emanuel Poche). Panorama, Prague 1980.
  • Naděžda Blažíčková-Horová: "Emanuel Max", in: Nová encyklopedie českého výtvarného umění,(New Encyclopedia of Czech Fine Arts), Academia, Prague 1995, Vol.2, pgs.496 - 497. ISBN 80-2000-522-6
  • Pavel Vlček et al., Umělecké památky Prahy. Díl I., Staré město. (Artistic Monuments of Prague) 2 vols. Academia, Prague 1996 ISBN 80-2002-107-8

External links edit