A Guardian Angel Rescuing Emperor Maximilian from the Martinswand by Alfred Rethel

A Guardian Angel Rescuing Emperor Maximilian from the Martinswand 1839

oil, canvas

impressionistic

16_19th-century

surrealistic

animal

fantasy art

oil

possibly oil pastel

canvas

underpainting

mountain

surrealism

painting painterly

watercolour illustration

surrealist

watercolor

Alfred Rethel's "A Guardian Angel Rescuing Emperor Maximilian from the Martinswand" (1839) is a Romantic depiction of the historical event of Maximilian I's near-fatal fall from a cliff. The painting, now located in the Städel Museum, portrays a guardian angel guiding the Emperor down the mountainside, highlighting themes of divine intervention and resilience in the face of danger. The dramatic composition with vivid colors and expressive figures, reminiscent of German Romanticism, make this artwork a powerful and engaging piece.

Comments

stadelmuseum over 1 year ago

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The young emperor is in great danger as he gazes into the abyss. According to a popular Tyrolean legend, Maximilian I (1459-1519) supposedly got completely lost in the mountains while out hunting chamois near Innsbruck. On the third day, as if by a miracle, a mysterious man appeared and led the exhausted monarch back into the valley. Contrary to a previous idea of depicting the rescuer as an angel, Rethel shows him here as a shepherd in a sheepskin, albeit illuminated from behind by a supernatural light. This important early work demonstrates clearly the influence of Philipp Veit, Rethel's teacher at the Städel in Frankfurt.