- Type of object:Liturgical Furniture / Altar
- Measurements (H/W/D):515 cm / 344 cm / 308 cm
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Materials & Techniques:
White, black and coloured marble, wood, mortar, brick, plaster, silver / Hand-carved, sculpted, gilded, polished, assembled with mortar, iron dowels, masoned
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Inscriptions & Markings:
Number „12“ written in black on the first semicolumn to the left of the tabernacle door. There are three inscriptions, presumably signatures written in pencil on the pedestal below the right sculptural composition. There is an inscription, presumably signature written in pencil on the upper part of the cartouche on the right side of the right column. All the presumed signatures are illegible.
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Date or Period:
1748 – contract signed, 1756 – completed and consecrated / (Baroque period), modified/restored 2016-2019
- Maker:Robba, Francesco (1698 - 1757)
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Subject:
Baroque marble altar
- Title:Altar of the Holy Cross
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Distinguishing Features:
The marble is slightly chipped in the lower left corner of the frame of the antependium. Some of the figures on the antependium relief are missing fingers, and the angel figure is also missing the right foot. The figures on the reliefs on the lateral sides of the stipes are also missing some fingers. On the left sculpture composition, the figure of the baby is missing toes on its right foot. The male figure has a hole on each side of its forehead. On the right sculpture composition, the figure of the boy is missing the big toe on his right foot and index toe on his left foot. The boy's drapery is slightly chipped on the brim along his right side. The joint between Abraham (the man) and Isaac's (the boy) back is visible and filled in with mortar. The left leg of the angel figure was presumably broken off and subsequently repaired with the use of mortar, leaving visible traces of mortar. Similar traces of mortar are visible underneath Abraham's left hand. The brim of the drapery between Abraham's feet is slightly chipped. There are three chipped parts on the backside of the altar, two along the left edge, and one in the upper part of the right edge.
The altar of the Holy Cross, made by the Baroque sculptor Francesco Robba (1698 – 1757), was created in 1756 for the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stephen and Ladislaus in Zagreb. After the earthquake in 1880, the altar was moved to the Church of the Holy Cross in Križevci. The atectonic type of altar is made combining several types of marble (black, white, yellow, red and green marble). At the bottom of the altar is an oval suppedaneum made out of black marble, inlayed with decorative elements in yellow, white and red marble. Above it is the stipes made out of black marble, with concave lateral sides. On the front side of the stipes, on the antependium is a relief depicting Souls in Purgatory, framed with a white cartouche on a yellow background. The relief is made out of grey, red and white marble. The stipes is flanked by diagonally set columns, decorated with white cartouches on a yellow background. Above the stipes is a black mensa (stone table) with a tabernacle in the center. The tabernacle is made out of white and green marble, with a silver door. The door is flanked by a pair of semi-columns in green marble with white capitals. Above the semicolumns is an acrhitrave with a white cornice. Above the silver door is a white marble arch with two putti heads carrying a circular plate. This central compsiotion is flanked by small putti. Behind the tabernacle is a black retable in the shape of a drapery with gilded edging, and white volutes on each side. In the center of the retable is a gilded cartouche framing the crucifix. The cross is gilded, with a white marble sculpture of Christ. Below the cross is a coat-of-arms of the commisioner, Canon Georg Rees (1705 - 1767). The retable is flanked by two sculptural compositions in white marble on a small pedestal. The composition on the left hand side depicts the scene of Moses with the Bronze Serpent. On the right hand side is the scene depicting Abraham's Sacrifice of Isaac. Above the retable are concave fragments of cornice. On top of each fragment is a white marble torch with a gilded flame. On the top of the altar is a canopy shaped crown with a wooden gilded pelican on top. Works on the conservation and restauration were conducted from 2016 to 2019.
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Object ID No.:
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Related Written Material:
Cvetnić, S., „Likovna oprema stare zagrebačke (prvo)stolnice“, Hrvatska Revija 1, 2023 Horvat-Pintarić, V., Francesco Robba, Zagreb, 1961. Horvat-Levaj, K., "Crkva sv. Križa" in Križevci: Grad i okolica, Zagreb, 1993 Klemenčič, M., Francesco Robba in beneško baročno kiparstvo v Ljubljani, Ljubljana, 1998. Klemenčič, M., "Francesco Robba" in La scultura a Venezia da Sansovino a Canova, Milan, 2000 Resman, B., "Epilog k Francescu Robbi", Acta Historiae Artis Slovenica 5, 2000
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Place of Origin/Discovery:
Originaly created for the Zagreb Cathedral. Moved to the Church of the Holy Cross in Križevci, North-West Croatia, after the earthquake of 1880.
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Cross Reference to Related Objects:
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Date Documented:
2025-04-29
