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The Assassination of King Wenzel III

Josef von Führich

1838

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Allegory

Dominant colour

The Assassination of King Wenzel III is a 1838 ink by Josef von Führich, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Josef von Führich
When & what style?: 1838 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

The painting depicts a dramatic scene of a king's assassination, with the monarch lying on the floor in the foreground. He is dressed in a long robe and has a crown beside him. In the background, a group of men are shown in the act of attacking the king, with one of them holding a sword. The scene is set against a backdrop of stone walls and a tiled floor. The painting is rendered in pen, black ink with gray, and light brown wash, which gives it a sense of depth and texture. The use of chiaroscuro creates a dramatic contrast between light and dark, highlighting the intensity of the scene. The painting is a powerful example of Romanticism, a movement that emphasized emotion and drama in art. To learn more about this style, explore the movement Romanticism.