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Stairway to heaven


Stairway to heaven
Photo Information
Copyright: Alli Hemingway (annagrace) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 447 W: 15 N: 518] (3421)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-22
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Olympus C-4000Z
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/30 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Photos with the same title as a song (II), Stairways [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-08-03 14:41
Viewed: 1014
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I took this photo at the Melk Abbey in Austria. The abbey was founded in 831 but completely destroyed by fire in 1297. The baroque age brought one of the undisputed heydays in the abbey's history. Within the space of 34 years the entire complex was rebuilt. Berthold Dietmayr (1670-1739) was appointed Abbot of Melk in 1700, when he was only thirty years of age. He set out to externalize the abbey's importance by lending it a new exterior. He found a kindred spirit in the master builder Jakob Prandtauer (1660-1726), who had been born in Stanz near Landeck in Tyrol but lived in Sankt Pölten. The two men soon decided that, rather than merely alter the outward appearance of the abbey, they would completely reconstruct it in baroque style. The foundation stone of the new church was laid in 1702.

During this period new sacred buildings and whole abbeys were being erected throughout Europe. The abbots who commissioned these projects needed to be endowed with considerable financial acumen if the costs were to be met. Abbot Berthold, known as Melk's "builder priest" , had to find 30,000 guilders a year to finance the construction of the new abbey.
That he was extremely adept at "balancing the books" is attested by the fact that the ambitious project was completed. This was by no means always the case with contemporary monastic building proyjcts, as the unfinished abbeys of Göttweig and Klosterneuburg Illustrate.

Dietmayr, the epitome of the baroque ecclesiastical dignitary, was appointed Dean of Vienna University in 1706 and served as privy counsellor to three successive emperors, Leopold I, Joseph I and Karl VI. The reconstruction of Melk Abbey was the culmination of Prandtauer's career as a master builder. He did not, however, live to see the project finished. His nephew and pupil Joseph Munggenast (1680- 1741) supervised the completion of Melk - as also of Herzogenburg and Sankt Pölten Abbeys - according to Prandtauer's plans, although with some contemporary elements of his own.
Dietmayr contracted some of the outstanding artists of his day but also engaged the services of local craftsmen. Viennese stage designer Antonio Beduzzi was brought in to plan the interior of the church. Theatrical architect Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena was summoned for the marble altar carvings - a characteristically baroque synthesis of the metaphysical and the theatrical deriving from the contemporary conception of life as a stage of global dimensions.

The reconstruction of the abbey was for the most part complete by 1736. Two years later a fire destroyed much of the new complex. Abbot Berthold, already advanced in years, immediately decreed than his life's work should be rebuilt, but he did not live to see it finally completed. (excerpted from italki.it)

I cropped and cloned out a couple of people's heads, otherwise photo is unchanged.
suedwaerts, seneca77, gtinatl, mukesh, Fisher, mlopes, taba, gantzt has marked this note useful
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To derrickhahn: Hey Derrick!annagrace 1 08-09 15:16
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Critiques [Translate]

hi alli,

great shot of typical austrian architecture. as i see you've your map almost finished. eeeeeeenvy :-)

regards from austria

martin

Great lines and colors in this image, Alli. It kind of has the look of an M.C. Escher work - the arches and stairways spiraling upwards. Great POV to capture this feeling and I love all the subtleties of color. There's so much detail and things to look at in the photo, but it's not cluttered. Excellent work!

  • Great 
  • sephus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 216 W: 0 N: 41] (2481)
  • [2005-08-03 16:15]

Wonderfull lines, arches and colours in this picture, Alli.
Especially the pink tones are surprisingly well shown.
Good mood in it!
Groet,
Joop.

Hi Ali,

I like this picture.

This is a striking image, even when seen as a thumbnail..

The shapes of the stairway and arches form a great combination.

The lighting is wonderfully even bringing out all the subtle shades of colour.

Regards
David

  • Great 
  • linus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1477 W: 10 N: 738] (10767)
  • [2005-08-03 20:27]

Hi Alli,
Great photo. Very imaginative composition.

Excellent, this is beautiful....
TFS

Greg

A lovely shot - POV, composition & colour. I like the light exposure - it would be tempting the darken this a bit but you'd lose the great detail.

I like the soft pink colors.

Wow, cool looking shot, great note. Thanks a million for sharing this one. I'm adding that to my European places to visit list.

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1254 W: 351 N: 944] (5728)
  • [2005-08-04 11:35]

WOW, a beautiful view. Excellent capture and well done on the composition. Quite the architechture.

Mike

  • Great 
  • harpya Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5710 W: 197 N: 2478] (9767)
  • [2005-08-04 13:48]

Ours!! spectacular picture
you got a detail
wonderful, see the colors and the light
contemplating in him, I adored this tones and the
drawings in the walls. it is very beautiful
Congratulations Alli, congratulations for the picture

Sérgio

Great shot Alli,
All those curves and corners make this a wondeful photo. colours are rich and you had a very såecial POV.
Very well done!!

Take care, Stef

Hi Alli... can't this be one of my lodges? :P

Great photo, full of dinamism and graphism, very nice yet soft colours.

Mário

Great shot, Alli. The diagonal lines, curves, and colors make this photo really stand out.

  • Great 
  • taba Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 424 W: 163 N: 312] (2033)
  • [2005-08-21 21:59]

This is a very beautifull arquiteture photo annagrace ! You got great effects with the lines and curves. The colour is a must. And you got a DOF very good.
Taba

Hi Alli, This is a great shot. I like the perspective you took and the colors are so nice and soft. Very Baroque (my favorite architectural style).

I like this photo because of the angle you chose where you get many interesting layers and lines. I also like the colors, and it also reminds of the time I spend living in Switerland even though I know this is Autria. Good shot.

Regards,

Tom

very nice compo I like it

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