Artwork
Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben
Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Eduard von Steinle. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of John the Baptist alludes to his future role as Christ's forerunner, reinforcing themes of divine destiny and familial interrelationships.
The painting shows the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, with Joseph standing beside them and the young John the Baptist presented as a child. This composition follows traditional iconography of the Holy Family, emphasizing familial intimacy and spiritual connection within a sacred narrative. The inclusion of John the Baptist alludes to his future role as Christ's forerunner, reinforcing themes of divine destiny and familial interrelationships.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for mid-nineteenth-century religious cabinet pictures of this scale. Its dimensions are recorded as 96 cm in height by 134 cm in width, giving it a horizontal format suited to a domestic or devotional setting.
Stylistically, the painting belongs to the Nazarene-influenced religious tradition associated with Eduard von Steinle, who favored clear, devotional compositions centered on the Holy Family. The subject, the Virgin Mary, Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, accompanied by the young John the Baptist, is treated as a sacred family group, consistent with Steinle's known focus on intimate, spiritually legible religious imagery.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Eduard von Steinle in 1855 as an oil on canvas work depicting the Holy Family with the infant John the Baptist. It entered the collection of the Belvedere, Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display.
The work measures 96 cm by 134 cm and was completed in the mid-19th century, reflecting the artist's religious themes and technical approach.
The piece is part of the museum's permanent holdings and has been catalogued under the title 'Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben' in its collection records.
Context
Eduard von Steinle's 1855 painting 'Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben' occupies a significant position within 19th-century religious art, reflecting the Nazarene movement's emphasis on spiritual sincerity and medieval revivalism. The work, depicting the Holy Family alongside John the Baptist as children, demonstrates Steinle's departure from academic conventions toward a more intimate, almost devotional style. It is housed in the Belvedere, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains part of their permanent collection.
Scholarship emphasizes its role in bridging Romantic religious sentiment and emerging Symbolist spirituality, particularly through its nuanced portrayal of familial bonds within a sacred context.
Legacy
Eduard von Steinle's 1855 painting Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben, depicting Mary, Christ Child, and Joseph, exerted modest influence on later religious art interpretations. Its composition and devotional focus contributed to 19th-century reinterpretations of familial sacred narratives within the Belvedere collection. The work remains recognized as part of Steinle's significant, though niche, contribution to religious painting, preserved in Vienna.
Overview
Eduard von Steinle’s 1855 oil painting Heilige Familie mit Johannesknaben presents a quiet domestic tableau of the Holy Family set against a gently rolling landscape. The composition centers on Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus, accompanied by a young boy holding a branch with red blossoms. Warm hues and soft illumination lend the scene an intimate, tranquil atmosphere.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Eduard von Steinle (2 July 1810 – 16 September 1889) was a painter and a printmaker.
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