The Frankfurt Altarpiece of the Exaltation of the True Cross_The Questioning of the Jew (bottom left) c. 1603 - 1605
adamelsheimer
stadelmuseum
oil
woman
abstract painting
baroque
oil
possibly oil pastel
oil painting
studio composition
child
acrylic on canvas
underpainting
painterly
painting painterly
14_17th-century
watercolor
fine art portrait
"The Questioning of the Jew" is a small oil painting on copper by Adam Elsheimer, part of his larger work, "The Frankfurt Altarpiece of the Exaltation of the True Cross," completed between 1603 and 1605. This detail depicts a scene of interrogation, showcasing Elsheimer's mastery of light and shadow, evident in the dramatic interplay between the figures and the surrounding landscape. The painting, now housed in the Städel Museum, is notable for its intimate scale and meticulous attention to detail, characteristic of Elsheimer's unique style of Northern Renaissance painting.
Comments
Only at a second glance can the still life can be recognised as such from the composition of simplified objects with black contours. The artist drew the outlines in charcoal and then filled the spaces with bright complementary colours (red/green, blue/orange, yellow/purple). Jawlensky later wrote that he was able to express that which “vibrated” inside him through colours and forms. The influence of the French artist Henri Matisse is reflected in this abstract style and its relinquishing of a spatial perspective.
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