Bust from the choirstall of the Cathedral in Poz

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While pursuing his calling as a priest in Heiligenkreutz, Donner encountered the skilled sculptor Giovanni Giuliani, who inspired him to take up sculpture, working alongside Giuliani in his studio before enrolling at the prestigious Vienna Academy. Years spent living in Salzburg were followed by a return to Vienna, where he created his crowning achievement, the Providence Fountain (1738-39), on the bustling Neuer Markt square. Initially cast in lead, a technique Donner favored, the figures were later replaced in 1873 with bronze copies. Other notable works by Donner include the captivating Perseus and Andromeda Fountain situated in the courtyard of Vienna's impressive Rathaus building and a majestic statue of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI proudly standing in the Belvedere Castle, Vienna. The elegant lines and refined form of his sculpture stood in sharp contrast to the over-the-top Baroque style prevalent among his contemporaries and predecessors, ultimately contributing to a shift towards a more understated sculptural style.