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Crucifixion

Franz Anton Maulbertch

Basic information

ID: Ж-329
Author: Franz Anton Maulbertch
Name: Crucifixion
Date of creation: 18th c.
Country: Austria
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions: 65 x 33 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: religious
Provenance: Collection of Lviv City Gallery
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Franz Anton Maulbertch
Author in the original: Franz Anton Maulbertch
Artist's lifetime: 1724–1796
Country: Austria
Biography: Franz Anton Maulbertsch was one of Central Europe's most prominent monumental artists of the 18th century. His colouristic style became a canon for the artistic culture of the Habsburg Empire in the second half of the 18th century. The artist was born in Langenargen and studied painting under his father. In 1739, he entered the Vienna Academy of Arts, studying painting under Jacob van Schuppen. The monumental paintings by Paul Troger and Venetian colourists such as Giambattista Piazzetta, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giambattista Tiepolo greatly influenced the artist's creativity. In the 1750s, Franz Anton Maulbertsch developed a colourful painting style that brought him recognition. From the 1770s, he began to adopt a soft colour palette and a style that resembled the aesthetic ideals of late 18th-century Neoclassicism.

Object description

Although Franz Anton Maulbertsch is considered one of the most prominent colourists of the second half of the 18th century, he began to produce monochrome oil sketches in the 1760s. "The Crucifixion" can be attributed to this period. The work represents an allegorical composition about the crucifixion of Christ. A cross with the crucified Saviour is depicted in the centre, on a cloud. He is surrounded by angels and cherubs, whose figures are performed with quick and pastose strokes. God the Father appears in the heavenly light above, among the dark clouds. Franz Anton Maulbertsch created a monochrome composition in this sketch based on the contrast of dark tones and white pasty strokes, allowing him to reproduce the drama of the biblical scene. The work was most likely created as a preparatory sketch for the fresco ensemble or the altar.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Crucifixion

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