Artwork
Englen åbenbarer sig for Josef
Englen åbenbarer sig for Josef is a photography by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1803 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1803 by the artist recorded as 649_person, this oil painting entitled Englen åbenbarer sig for Josef is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The composition centers on a seated, bearded man in a dark robe, his gaze directed downward and to the left, while a luminous angel to his right points toward an unseen focus beyond the picture’s edge.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a moment of revelation, with the angelic figure appearing to draw the man’s attention to a spiritual or narrative element that lies outside the visible scene. The man’s contemplative expression suggests introspection or divine instruction, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between human thought and celestial guidance.
Technique & Style
The artist employs chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with illuminated areas to model the figures and suggest three‑dimensional form. Light falls on the angel’s fair hair and pale robe, while the man remains shrouded in darker tones, creating a visual hierarchy that emphasizes the angel’s role as a source of illumination.
History & Provenance
Since its creation in the early nineteenth century, the painting has remained in the custody of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s holdings of European religious imagery. No record of earlier ownership or exhibition history is noted in the available documentation.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
