Probably the most important sculptor at the margravial court of Bayreuth came from a Styrian family.He was baptised in Regensburg on 21 Aug 1649, and buried in Bayreuth on 27th Sept 1731. He enjoyed his education in Italy, where he studied in Rome and was strongly influenced by G.L Bernini. In 1679 Margrave Christian Ernst invited him to the royal capital to be court sculptor, where his career swiftly took off.
The margravial fountain in front of the new Palace in Bayreuth and the Huguenot fountain in Erlangen count amongst his many works in wood and stone. But he also worked beyond the bounds of the margravate: one of his most imposing masterpieces is the box for the nobility in the church of St Laurentius in Thurnau. In Pilgramsreuth, the rich decorative figures of the altar, the pulpit and the stairs leading up to it – in particular the representation of Moses acting as the pulpit base (picture), all testify to the great skill of Elias Räntz. His work is remarkable for its filigree carving and vivid expressions.