IVAN KOMERSTEINER: PARTS OF St. MARY'S AND St. LADISLAS' ALTARS
- polychrome, gilt wood
- Ljubljana-Zagreb, 1686-1688
- St. Mary's altar from the Zagreb cathedral
- Zagreb 1688-1690
- St. Ladislas altar from the Zagreb cathedral
- Ivan Eisenhort and Bernardo Bobic, painters and gilders
- St. Mary's altar:
- Madonna with the Child on a stand with the donor's coat of arms (Mihajlo Bocak)
- height: 220 cm
- St. Ladislas' altar:
- King Ladislas; height: 214 cm
- Duke Emerik; height: 194 cm
- the four evangelists - height: 82-85 cm
Towards the end of the 17th c., the new St. Ladislas' and St. Mary's altars were put in the north and south chapels respectively. Both altars had a high and rather two-dimensional architectural structure. Carved ornamental consoles were supporting the sides of the altars with painted panels that could be closed as other Gothic altars of the kind. Numerous sculptures and skillfully carved ornaments consisting of abundant acanthus branches and leaves - a new ornamental motif at the time, originating from Italy - are among the top achievements of sculptor Ivan Komersteiner who worked first in Ljubljana and then in Zagreb. Sculptures and ornaments were gilt by painters Ivan Eisenhort and Bernardo Bobic. Towards the end of the 19th c., when reconstruction works were under way on the cathedral, both altars were removed and assigned to parishes in Lonja and Kraljev vrh respectively, where they were never displayed in their original form. In time, they slowly started to decay. From the parts that were salvaged, a fragmentary altar was reconstructed known as St. Ladislas' altar, currently featuring in MUO's holdings, while the painted wings may today be found at the City of Zagreb Municipal Museum.