Alojz Rigele

Who was Alojz Rigele?

Alojz Rigele was an Austro-Hungarian sculptor and painter. He spent most of his life working in today's Bratislava where numerous examples of his statues survive to this day. Rigele was considered to be among the leading sculptors in Slovakia before the World War I. His specialty was sculpture, especially portrait.

Together with Robert Kühmayer, Jozef Arpád Murmann and Alojz Stróbl, Alojz Rigele was part of a group of famous artists that influenced the art and architecture of the city of Bratislava. This older generation of sculptors born before the 1900s often represented historical and social themes. Rigele was an active member of the Pressburger Kunstverein group and the Bratislava Beautification Association. The Alchymist from approximately 1920 is considered to be among Rigele's finest sculptures.