Marijin steber v Ljutomeru: Naročilo, prenova in vprašanje avtorstva

Until now, the Marian column in Ljutomer has received no methodical consideration. The author of the article examines it by drawing on available archival sources and a more thorough stylistic analysis. The market town judge (Marktrichter) Matija Petek, who commissioned the column, as well as the year of its commissioning (1729) and restoration (1854), respectively, are stated on the monument’s inscription plaque. Johann Jacob Schoy was most probably the master craftsman selected for creating the stone figures. Only a few elements have been preserved from the original Baroque monument after the architecture of the Marian column was completely transformed in the mid-nineteenth century. The transformation, minutely documented in archival sources, was carried out by two master craftsmen from Radkersburg (Radgona): the stone carver Anton Spranger and the painter and guilder Johann Klein. The article complements the existing knowledge regarding the processes of commissioning and restoring public Baroque monuments.