Artwork
The Virgin appearing to Saints John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi
The Virgin appearing to Saints John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Hans Rottenhammer. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a religious apparition in which the Virgin Mary appears to two of the most venerated saints of the Catholic tradition.
The painting presents a religious apparition in which the Virgin Mary appears to two of the most venerated saints of the Catholic tradition. According to the source catalogue, the work depicts the Madonna and Child alongside Saint John the Baptist and Saint Francis of Assisi, framing the vision as a moment of mystical revelation granted to these two holy figures.
John the Baptist, traditionally shown as the forerunner of Christ, and Francis of Assisi, the mendicant founder associated with humility and mystical experience, are paired as witnesses to the Virgin's apparition. Their joint presence emphasizes the continuity between the scriptural past and the medieval devotional tradition, while the inclusion of the Madonna and Child anchors the vision in the central mystery of Christian faith.
Rendered as a religious painting by Hans Rottenhammer in 1622, the composition belongs to the Counter-Reformation tradition of Marian imagery, in which visions of the Virgin served to inspire piety and affirm Catholic doctrine.
History & Provenance
The painting The Virgin appearing to Saints John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi was created by Hans Rottenhammer in 1622. It is a religious work depicting the Madonna and Child alongside John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi. The artwork measures 301 cm in height and 188 cm in width.
Currently, the piece is held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, specifically located at the Alte Pinakothek.
The painting The Virgin appearing to Saints John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi by Hans Rottenhammer is held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Specifically, the work resides in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Created in 1622, this religious artwork depicts the Madonna and Child alongside John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, nor is there any recorded exhibition history for the piece in the given data.
Context
Hans Rottenhammer's 1622 work The Virgin appearing to Saints John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi depicts a Marian vision with the titular saints. It belongs to the religious painting genre and was created by the German artist Hans Rottenhammer. The painting is housed in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
Scholars recognize it as an example of early 17th-century Counter-Reformation devotional art that blends Venetian coloristic influences with German compositional traditions.
Overview
Johann Rottenhammer’s 1622 oil painting presents a nocturnal vision of the Virgin and Child attended by Saint John the Baptist and Saint Francis of Assisi. Executed on a modestly sized panel, the work combines German meticulousness with the dramatic lighting characteristic of early Italian Baroque. It is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection in Munich.
Technique & Style
Rottenhammer employs a finely detailed approach, rendering delicate fabrics and the ethereal clouds with precise brushwork. The chiaroscuro, deep shadows against a dim sky, creates a sense of mystery and highlights the figures’ faces, reflecting the early Baroque’s interest in dramatic illumination while retaining the compositional clarity of Northern Renaissance miniatures.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Rottenhammer, or Hans Rottenhammer (1564 – 14 August 1625), was a German painter. He specialized in highly finished paintings on a small scale.
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