In the U.S. it is beginning to feel for many that we are on the last lap of the COVID-19 pandemic — and for those of us lucky enough to have had the vaccine, gratitude is a common emotion. In the 17th century, several European countries endured a horrific bout of plague, caused by that same Yersinia Pestis that brought about the Black Death of the 1300s. And when the sickness receeded, a common way that urban centers celebrated their gratitude was to build “plague columns”, often featuring the Virgin Mary or the Christian Holy Trinity. One of the most famous, Vienna, Austria’s “Pestäule Column” is featured here.
Dedicated to the Holy Trinity (it features the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on various sides of the sculpture), the landmark was commissioned by King Leopold I to commemorate the lives lost when the plague hit the city in 1679: as many as 75,000 town citizens died. Only four years later, Vienna was hit by another devastation, the siege by the Ottoman Imperial forces. Vienna emerged from both catastrophes, and in gratitude Leopold commissioned the Plague Column in 1683.
The Plague Column is extremely Baroque — and for non-art historians, that means tons of flourishes, lots of billowing clouds and fabric, and rounded shapes. The three sections of Vienna’s Plague Column feature scenes from religious imagery to political propaganda, like King Leopold kneeling in thanksgiving for Vienna’s safety, suggesting that it was through the ruler’s piety that divine intervention allowed Vienna to endure. In fact, Leopold actually left the city during the time of troubles. Visitors today know that Vienna’s Plague Column is one of the most prominent public sculptures in the city.
Source(s): Wikipedia. Atlas Obscura.
