Holy Family at Work, Karl Müller

Exhibition Label: "Corpus," Apr-2012, Steve Goddard In the early 19th century, many German artists began to turn their attention away from the prevailing excitement about Greco-Roman antiquity, preferring to steep themselves in Christian themes and the arts of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. One group in particular, the Nazarenes, emulated a monastic lifestyle and devoted much of their work to biblical narrative - evidently in response to a text that was central to the German Romantic movement, Wilhelm Wackenroder’s Heartfelt Effusions of an Art-loving Monk (1797). This roundel by Müller, which may have been part of a larger cycle of paintings, echoes the German renaissance theme of the Holy Kinship, an expanded Holy Family. In this case, the Holy Family is joined by the young John the Baptist. Two women appear in the background, possibly Elizabeth (one of Mary’s relatives and the mother of John the Baptist) and Mary’s mother, St. Anne. Archive Label: Although this appears to be a simple portrait of the Holy Family, many objects in the painting refer to Christ’s crucifixion and his sacrifice for mortals’ sins. Some objects, like the lamb to the left of Christ, are familiar symbols of Christ’s sacrifice. Others may be less obvious. On the left side of the painting, Mary is spinning yarn for Christ’s winding cloth, anticipating his burial. The words of John the Baptist’s scroll also refer to Christ’s future sacrifice: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world...” Joseph’s auger on the right side of the painting resembles the Tau cross-the shape of the cross on which Christ was crucified. The birds, plants, animals and even insects included in the painting also resonate with symbolic significance. Like many other German artists in the mid-19th century, Müller looked to the art of the Renaissance for his subjects and revived an interest in religious art. The hidden symbolism and meticulous detail of this painting are evidence of his nostalgia for earlier painting traditions.