Georg Rafael Donner

Georg Rafael Donner, born on May twenty-fourth, sixteen ninety-three in Essling, Vienna, emerged as one of the most prolific sculptors of the eighteenth century in Austria. His artistic style, characterized by baroque elements infused with pseudo-ancient influences, set him apart in the world of sculpture. Throughout his career, he not only created remarkable works but also educated many German sculptors, including his own son, Matthäus Donner.

Donner's inspiration stemmed from the beauty of nature and the antique sculptures housed in Vienna's academy. Among his most celebrated creations is the Donnersteig at Mirabel Castle in Salzburg, crafted between seventeen twenty-five and seventeen twenty-seven, where he sculpted life-size marble figures that captivated audiences. In seventeen twenty-eight, he moved to Pozsony, where he worked at the court of count-bishop Emeric Esterházy, producing significant pieces such as a gravestone for the bishop and a horse monument of St. Martin.

For nearly a decade, Donner operated his studio in the garden of the Summer Archbishop's Palace, located just outside Pozsony. His time in Vienna was marked by the creation of two notable fountains: the Fountain of Austria's Rivers, completed between seventeen thirty-seven and seventeen thirty-nine, and the source featuring sculptures of Perseus and Andromeda in front of the City Hall, finished in seventeen thirty-nine. One of his final masterpieces, the Pieta, was completed in seventeen forty-one at the cathedral in Gurk.

In recognition of his artistic contributions, Georg Rafael Donner was honored as the main motif on the Austrian gold euro commemorative coin issued on November thirteenth, two thousand two. The coin features a portrait of Donner with the Palace of the Lower Belvedere in the background, a museum of baroque art in Vienna that houses much of his work.