20.03.11

After the miserable weather yesterday, Vienna was once again transformed into spring. I took this opportunity to travel to Karlsplatz to do some more sketching. I sat myself in front of the Karlskirche and began drawing in my little A5 sketchbook.

During 1713 Vienna suffered from a plague epidemic. The emperor at the time Karl VI promised that he would build a church dedicated to the patron saint of the plague St Charles Borromeo once the plight was over. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach won the design competition with his high Baroque piece. The church took nearly 25 years to complete and the architect’s eclectic style is very evident. The two columns that rise up to either side of the main portico were inspired by Trajan’s column in Rome and are decorated with scenes of St Charles Borromeo’s life. The portico also has reliefs on the pediment showing the suffering of the Viennese during the plague. Overall in my opinion the church is compositionally and proportionally quite unique; it was a pleasure to study and sketch the church which I have passed so many times going to and from university.

My A5 sketch of Karlskirche