Sculptures and Reliefs
In the Admont Abbey Library, there are 16 sculptures and two large reliefs by Josef Stammel (1695–1765). It is presumed that 60 out of a total of 68 console busts depicting scholars, artists, poets, sculptors, and Sibyls on the bookshelves are also his work. Stammel served the Admont Abbey for over four decades. He was a contemporary of Georg Raphael Donner and Bartolomeo Altomonte. Thus, he belonged to a generation of artists who brought Late Baroque to its final pinnacle. His works are in a tense connection with the overall concept of the Admont Library Hall, which is influenced by the spirit of the Enlightenment. Josef Stammel's carvings are made of linden wood. Except for the gilded busts, they are bronzed, thus achieving a material illusion.
Large reliefs
On the two narrow sides of the library hall, at the level of the gallery, there are two large reliefs. The relief on the south side depicts a well-known motif from the Old Testament: the "Solomonic Judgment" as the epitome of human wisdom. Jesus teaching in the temple is portrayed on the north side, serving as the New Testament counterpart and embodiment of divine wisdom. The nearly fully sculpted high reliefs in the medallion-like painted frames at the level of the gallery in the two outer halls depict a total of eight biblical figures: on the south side, representatives of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, facing them are the apostles Peter and Paul; on the north side, the four evangelists Luke, John, Matthew, and Mark.
On the upper floor of the central area, the personalised representations of the four virtues in the figures of women convey a thematic dialogue: Eternal truth (‘veritas eterna’), divine wisdom (‘sapientia divina’), prudence (‘prudentia’) and science (‘scientia’).
The Four Last Things
Also under the central dome is Josef Stammel's group of figures "The Four Last Things," dating from around 1755-60. The four larger-than-life standing figures are characterized by pronounced gestures and expressions. They represent Death, Resurrection (simultaneously Judgment), Hell, and Heaven. They embody a central eschatological theme of the Baroque era. In the face of death, the human traveler must confront the last things. During the divine judgment, it will later be decided whether heavenly glory or hellish damnation awaits them. The four sculptures have faced each other in the central space between columns and bookshelves since around 1800. However, they were not originally intended for this location. Instead, the "Universum" destroyed by the monastery fire stood in the center of the library.
