SCHALLER, Johann Nepomuk

Austrian sculptor. He had his early training from various masters (including Zauner) before he joined the Viennese porcelain factory as a modeller. From 1812 he was in Rome, where he modeled his work strongly on Canova. He also made friends with Thorvaldsen, who became a great patron. On receiving a commission from the court to work up a lifesize male statue of youthful age, he opted for a group based on Bellerophon Fighting the Chimaera.

Schaller’s weakness was that in his sculptures he was scarcely able to convey the sense of resolution that imbues Canova’s sculptures. Despite his talent, he belonged among the ranks of his Austrian colleagues who remained long under the sway of the visual language of the Baroqque.