Entwurf für einen Hochaltar c. 1750

This is Johann Baptist Straub's "Entwurf für einen Hochaltar," a preliminary design rendered in pen and ink. The drawing presents a baroque altar, its composition reaching towards the heavens. The eye is drawn upwards by the verticality of the columns, and then further still by the radiant burst of angels and light at its apex. Note how Straub uses line and shading to define form and create depth. The contrast between the solid, grounded base and the ethereal, swirling figures above introduces a semiotic interplay between the earthly and divine. This contrast challenges fixed notions of space and representation, encouraging us to consider the altar not just as a physical structure, but as a threshold. The baroque style, with its dramatic flair, serves to destabilize established meanings. Ultimately, the drawing’s intricate detail and dynamic composition invites ongoing interpretation, illustrating how art engages with cultural and philosophical ideas about divinity and space.