Artwork
Die Heilige Familie
Die Heilige Familie is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Anton Joseph von Prenner. It dates from 1722 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Anton Joseph von Prenner, an Austrian painter and engraver active in the early 18th century, completed the oil painting *Die Heilige Familie* in 1722. Executed within the Rococo idiom, the work presents a quiet, intimate scene of the Holy Family and is presently part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection in Munich.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a serene woman, identified as the Virgin Mary, cradling the infant Jesus, who rests in a light swaddling cloth. A shadowed figure, presumed to be Saint Joseph, kneels behind them, emphasizing the familial bond and the devotional focus on the infant’s divinity within a domestic setting.
Technique & Style
Prenner employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting the illuminated figures against a deep, muted background. This lighting scheme heightens the tactile quality of the fabrics and the softness of the infant’s skin, while the subdued palette and graceful drapery reflect Rococo’s preference for elegance and gentle movement.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after Prenner’s appointment as court painter to the Habsburgs, the painting entered the Imperial collection and later transferred to the state-owned Alte Pinakothek. Its documentation in the museum’s catalogue confirms its continuous public display since the 19th century.
Context
The early 1720s saw a shift in Central European art toward lighter, more intimate religious subjects, moving away from the dramatic Baroque. Prenner’s *Die Heilige Familie* exemplifies this transition, merging devotional content with the decorative sensibility that characterized the Rococo period in Austria and southern Germany.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anton Joseph von Prenner or von Brenner (7 March 1683 – 1761) was an Austrian painter, engraver and publisher. He is mainly known for his publications recording the Imperial art collections kept in the Stallburg gallery.
