Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (Jule 20, 1656 (Graz) - April 5, 1723 (Vienna)) was an Austrian Baroque period architect and sculptor. Among his important projects are the Schönbrunn palace, 1690 - 1701, the Karlskirche, San Carlo Borromeo, Vienna, Austria, 1716 - 1737 and the Spanish Riding School, Vienna.
Fischer von Erlach was responsible not only for designing the palace (of Schönbrunn); the construction work was also carried out under his immediate supervision. It was probably in connection with this huge and prestigious project that he was invested with the mark of nobility by Emperor Leopold, being subsequently known as Fischer von Erlach. [1]
Fisher wrote an important book: Historic Architecture; he used testimonies taken from contemporary historians and etchings on old medals for accuracy. The knowledge and wit of the volume make it unique among eighteenth-century architecture books. [2]