Waldesruhe (Madonna mit Kind, hl. Adelheid und hl. Franziskus)

About this artwork

Der Bildtitel bezieht sich auf das Dickicht eines Nadelwaldes, in dem die Gruppe der Heiligen zueinander gefunden hat. Es ist erstaunlich, in diesem nördlichen Ambiente einen Verweis auf die venezianische Malerei des 15. Jahrhunderts zu finden - so etwa im hinter der Madonna hochgezogenen Brokatstoff und in der Anordnung der Figuren, die an den Typus der "Sacra Conversazione" erinnert. Die Bezugnahme auf die italienische Malerei der Renaissance entspricht dem Denken der Nazarener. Dabei handelt ...

Art Historical Context

Joseph von Führich's *Waldesruhe (Madonna mit Kind, hl. Adelheid und hl. Franziskus)*, painted in 1835, transports viewers to a serene coniferous forest thicket where the Madonna and Child commune with Saints Adelaide and Francis. This oil on canvas masterpiece, measuring 134 x 100 cm, captures a moment of sacred repose amid nature's embrace, blending northern European landscape with divine figures in harmonious composition. What stands out is Führich's deliberate nod to 15th-century Venetian Renaissance painting, evident in the luxurious brocade drapery rising behind the Madonna and the intimate grouping reminiscent of the "Sacra Conversazione" genre—saints engaged in quiet conversation. As a Bohemian artist who spent two years immersed in the Nazarene circle, Führich embodied their ideals. Founded as the Lukasbund in Vienna in 1809, the Nazarenes later settled in Rome, dedicating their art to religious purity and reviving early Italian masters. Appointed professor at Vienna's Academy of Fine Arts, Führich became Austria's leading proponent of this movement. Housed in Vienna's Belvedere Collection, this work exemplifies 19th-century Romanticism's quest for spiritual depth through historical revival, inviting visitors to ponder faith's timeless whisper in the woods.

About the Artist

Joseph von Führich · 1800–1876

Austrian, Kratzau 1800–1876 Vienna