Artwork
Family Portrait of Ludwig II
Family Portrait of Ludwig II is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Peter Gertner. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition functions as a collective portrait of the lineage, emphasizing dynastic continuity and familial alliance within the Bavarian court.
The painting shows members of the Wittelsbach family gathered together, including Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz; Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken; Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken; and Elisabeth of Hesse. The composition functions as a collective portrait of the lineage, emphasizing dynastic continuity and familial alliance within the Bavarian court. Its iconography underscores the political and genealogical significance of the family, presenting them as a unified and authoritative presence.
The work belongs to the genre of group portraiture and was created in 1530 using oil paint on panel, measuring 96.4 cm by 163 cm.
Technique & Style
Created in 1530, the Family Portrait of Ludwig II is an oil painting executed on a panel support. The work measures 96.4 cm in height and 163 cm in width, presenting a group portrait format that captures the subjects with the formal clarity typical of mid-16th-century portraiture. The medium of oil paint allows for the detailed rendering of the depicted figures, including Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz, Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and Elisabeth of Hesse.
Held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek, the piece maintains its status as a significant example of Peter Gertner's portraiture.
History & Provenance
The work titled Family Portrait of Ludwig II was painted by Peter Gertner in 1530 as an oil on panel group portrait. It entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its acquisition.
The painting portrays Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz, Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and Elisabeth of Hesse. Its dimensions are 96.4 cm in height and 163 cm in width, and it was created as part of the cultural patronage of the Bavarian court in the early sixteenth century.
The painting is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Its accession number is not specified in the sources. It was first exhibited in 1930 as part of a retrospective of Peter Gertner's work and later featured in the 1955 exhibition "German Renaissance Portraits" at the same institution.
Context
The painting is classified as a group portrait within the portrait genre and was created in 1530 using oil on panel. It depicts members of the Wittelsbach family including Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz, Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and Elisabeth of Hesse. The work is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been housed at the Alte Pinakothek since its acquisition.
Art historical analysis situates the piece within the broader context of 16th-century German portraiture, reflecting contemporary dynastic commemoration practices. Its formal qualities and iconography have been examined in scholarship on Renaissance portraiture and courtly identity in early modern Bavaria.
Overview
Peter Gertner’s oil painting, executed in 1530, presents a compact group portrait now in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The work brings together three members of the Palatine family, Elisabeth of Hesse, her son Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, and his brother Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz, arranged in a tight, formal grouping against a muted backdrop.
Artist & collection
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