Darmstadt Madonna
Encyclopedia
The Darmstadt Madonna is an oil painting by Hans Holbein the Younger
. Completed in 1526 in Basel
, the work shows the Bürgermeister of Basel Jakob Meyer zum Hasen
, his first wife (who had died earlier), his current wife, and his daughter grouped around the Madonna and infant Jesus. The meaning of the two other male figures on the left side is, like the overall iconography of the image, not entirely clear. The image testified to the resolutely Catholic faith of the Bürgermeister, who actively opposed the Reformation.
The painting was influenced by Italian Renaissance religious painting, with elements of Netherlandish portrait painting. Earlier located in Darmstadt
, whence its title, the work has been on temporary loan to the Städelschen Kunstinstitut
in Frankfurt am Main since 2004.
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
. Completed in 1526 in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, the work shows the Bürgermeister of Basel Jakob Meyer zum Hasen
Jakob Meyer zum Hasen
Jakob Meyer zum Hasen was the bürgermeister of the city of Basel from 1516 to 1521. A money changer by profession, he was the first bürgermeister of Basel to be a tradesman, belonging to a guild rather than the aristocracy or a wealthy family. Relatively little is known about his life, "not even a...
, his first wife (who had died earlier), his current wife, and his daughter grouped around the Madonna and infant Jesus. The meaning of the two other male figures on the left side is, like the overall iconography of the image, not entirely clear. The image testified to the resolutely Catholic faith of the Bürgermeister, who actively opposed the Reformation.
The painting was influenced by Italian Renaissance religious painting, with elements of Netherlandish portrait painting. Earlier located in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, whence its title, the work has been on temporary loan to the Städelschen Kunstinstitut
Städel
The Städel, officially the Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, is an art museum in Frankfurt am Main, with one of the most important collections in Germany....
in Frankfurt am Main since 2004.