⭐ 20: Johann Jakob Moscon

The Six-Fingered Baron from Pišece

 
As secular cultural heritage, the portraits that depict members of the prominent Moscon family and originate from the Pišece (Pischätz) Castle were some of the first works of art acquired with the help of the patron Fran Bonač (1880–1966), a benefactor and industrialist, for the first museum collection in Krško, which was exhibited in the deconsecrated Church of the Holy Spirit in Krško. All the portraits, which were painted by unknown artists, who were clearly great masters of their trade, are characterised by outstanding interpretation of the portrayed persons' individual features, including their well-bred posture paired with the cosmopolitan and refined attire. One of the most interesting portraits is a full-length portrait of Innozenz Moscon's grandson, the ‘six-fingered’ Baron Johann Jakob Moscon (1621–1661).
 

For heritage enthusiasts:

The Moscons left their imprint on the Posavje region from the 16th to the mid-20th century, as they owned the Pišece (Pischätz), Sevnica (Lichtenwald) and Reštanj (Reichenstein) estates, which they had bought from the Archdiocese of Salzburg in 1595. Even before that they had owned Šrajbarski turn (Thurn am Hart) and Krško (Gurkfeld). They were bestowed the baron title in 1617, and in addition to the seigniories in the Posavje region, they owned a number of other seigniories and mansions: Jablje (Habach) near Mengš, Klevevž (Klingenfels), Laško (Tüffer), Logatec (Logatzc), Majšperk (Monsberg), Mokrice (Mokriz), Ortnek, Pipan's Castle in Predtrg near Radovljica, Planina pri Sevnici (Montpreis), Ptuj – Mali grad, Ruperčvrh (Ruprechtshof), Slovenske Konjice (Gonobitz), Kostanjevica (Landstrass) and Višnja gora (Weichselburg)
The core of their estate in the Posavje region was in Pišece (Pischätz), which was their home until 1938. The first lord of the Pischätz Castle, Innozenz (1545–1618/1623), acquired his wealth as a merchant in the rear of the Military Frontier. Innozenz's son Hans Baptist (1575–1637), the lord of Sevnica (Lichtenwald), Krško (Gurkfeld), Pišece (Pischätz), Radeče (Ratschach), Žusem (Sussenheim) and Polhov Gradec (Billichgrätz), had three sons, of whom Jobst Josef (before 1602–1676) inherited the castle in Sevnica, Vid Jakob (? –1653) in Polhov Gradec, and Johann Jakob (1621–1661) in Pišece.
 

Hans Baptist Baron Moscon (1575–1637), Inv. No.: KZ1/142. Inscription under the Moscon family's coat of arms: Hans Baptist Moscon Freyherr zu Lichtenwald,/ Reichenstein u. Gurkfeld, Herr Auf Pischätz,/ Süssenheim, Pyrkenstein, Ratschach u. Billichgraetz / Sr. Kaiserl: Majest: Ferdinandi II. Rath u. Camerherr. /vermält 1. mit Anna Maria Khisl Freyin / " " 2. mit Martha Freyin Gregoryanzin / + 1646 Translation: Hans Baptist Moscon, Baron of Lichtenwald, Reichenstein and Gurkfeld, Lord of Pischätz, Sussenheim, Pirkenstein, Ratschach and Billichgrätz. Councillor and chamberlain of His Imperial Majesty, Ferdinand II. Married to (1) Anna Maria Khisl, Baroness; (2) Marta Baroness Gregoryancz / + 1646.

Jobst Josef Baron Moscon (before 1602–1676), Inv. No.: KZ1/141. Inscription under the Moscon family's coat of arms:   Jobst Josef Moscon Freyherr/ zu Lichtenwald, Reichenstein u. Gurkfeld/ Herr auf Pischatz, Reichenburg, Montpreis / Ratschach u. Mokritz / Obrist Proviantˑ Meister u. Comissär in/ den kroatischen und Meer ˑGränzen / verm: 1630 mit Elisa Gräfin Erdödy/ und 1658 mit Barbara Gräfin Draskowitsch / + 1673. Translation: Jobst Josef Baron of Lichtenwald, Reichenstein and Gurkfeld, Lord of Pischätz, Rajhenburg, Montpreis, Ratschach and Mokriz. Supreme provisioning master and commissioner of the Croatian and Maritime Frontiers. Married to Elisa Countess Erdödy (1630) and Barbara Countess Drašković (1658) / + 1673.

Johann Jakob and his wife Helena Elizabeta Schäffer died a tragic death under the fists of rebellious peasants who occupied and damaged the Pischätz Castle in December 1661. The ownership of the Pischätz seigniory passed into the hands of their son, Johann Baptist.
 

Pischätz Castle on a litograph by Carl Reichert (1836–1918), circa 1865, Inv. No. KZ1: 1074	Lichtenwald on a copperplate engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer (1628–1696), Inv. No. KZ1/1025.

Prominent members of the Moscon family from the 16th to the 18th centuries are presented in an exhibition of 20 portraits. The portraits are excellent works of art by unknown, most likely traveling masters. They date back to the period between the mid-17th century and the late 18th century, and give an insight into the clothing worn at the time. As he was burdened with massive debts, the last owner of the Pischätz seigniory, Alfred Buttlar-Moscon (1898–1972), sold the castle furnishings, furniture and artworks, and in 1938 also the castle itself and the seigniory. At an auction held on 15 April 1940 in Ljubljana, Fran Bonač, an industrialist from Ljubljana and the founder of the Pulp Factory in Videm ob Savi, bought the portraits of the Moscons for the Krško Museum Society at a price of 3,726 dinars.
 

Up until 1938, portraits of the baronial Moscon family were displayed in the Ancestral Hall of the Pišece (Pischätz) Castle, a photo, Inv. No.: Z4:3789	In the autumn of 1940, members of the Krško Museum Society exhibited the first museum collection, including portraits of members of the Moscon family. The collection was on view in the deconsecrated Church of the Holy Spirit and the Valvasor House in Krško

 
The most notable of portraits depicting members of the Moscon family are four full-length portraits. The portrait of Johann Jakob reflects his strong authoritarian and domineering personality, which is further confirmed by a submissive dog at his feet. Another noticeable feature is the baron's left hand, which he proudly shows for everyone to see. He was born with an additional, sixth finger, a condition referred to as polydactyly, i.e. a person is born with one or more extra fingers.
 

Portraits of the Moscon family – part of the cultural and historical collection in the earliest exhibition rooms at the Brežice Castle, where the Posavje Museum Brežice started operating in 1949.	Portraits of the Moscon family exhibited as part of the art history exhibition The Room of Noble Glory, which was on view until 2020.

 

Full-length portraits of Johann Baptist (1650–1674), Hans Baptist (1575–1637) and Jobst Josef (before 1602–1676) replaced the missing medallions painted by Frančišek Karl Remb in the Knight's Hall. They were on view until 2018, when reproductions of Remb’s original paintings were placed inside the oval medallions, i.e. a group portrait of the man who commissioned the frescoes in the Knight’s Hall, Count Ignaz Maria Attems, with his three sons, a group portrait of his first wife Maria Regina, née Wurmbrand-Stuppach, with their children, and a depiction of the Allegory of Glory and Wealth. This made the appearance of the hall uniform, much like it was in the past.

For more information see:

• Online exhibition Traces of Secular Heritage of the Posavje Region from the 17th to the 19th Centuries
• Černelič Krošelj Alenka (ur.): »Vljudno vabljeni, nič siljeni«, Muzealca Franjo in Iva Stiplovšek: proti sedmim desetletjem Posavskega muzeja Brežice / Politely Invited, Not Urged — Museum Couple Franjo and Iva Stiplovšek: Into the Seventh Decade of the Posavje Museum Brežice, Posavski muzej Brežice, Brežice, 2018.

 
Prepared by: Oži Lorber, Andreja Matijevc
 
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