Ignaz Günther
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Ignaz Günther (1725-1775) was the most important sculptor in 18th-century Germany, working primarily in polychromed wood in the Bavarian Rococo tradition. Born in Altmannstein, he studied in Munich, Mannheim, and Vienna before establishing himself as Bavaria's leading church sculptor.
Günther's figures are ecstatic and elegant, with elongated proportions and angular drapery arrangements that give them a distinctive nervous energy. His masterwork, the polychrome Guardian Angel (1763) in Munich's Bürgersaal, captures the Rococo at its most refined. He was appointed court sculptor in 1773, just two years before his death. Our collection includes 3 works at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Sculptures by Ignaz Günther
3 sculptures catalogued with museum locations. Browse all sculptures
Museums with Ignaz Günther's Work
1 museum displays Günther's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.
About Ignaz Günther
Günther is considered the finest German sculptor of the 18th century. He carved polychrome wood figures with elongated proportions and angular drapery that define the Bavarian Rococo style.
The polychrome Guardian Angel (1763) in Munich's Bürgersaal is considered his masterwork. The elegantly elongated figures with their angular drapery capture Bavarian Rococo at its peak.
The Cleveland Museum of Art holds examples. In Munich, his works remain in churches including the Bürgersaal and various Bavarian pilgrimage churches.
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