Artwork
Josephs Traumdeutung im Kerker (nach)
Josephs Traumdeutung im Kerker (nach) is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Johann Ulrich Mayr. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1667, the work titled *Josephs Traumdeutung im Kerker* is attributed to Johann Ulrich Mayr, a German painter associated with the Baroque period. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It depicts a nocturnal interior scene that draws on biblical narrative while reflecting the artist’s courtly background.
Subject & Meaning
The composition illustrates a moment from the Genesis story of Joseph in prison, where an older figure—interpreted as the chief jailer—addresses a young boy, likely Joseph’s fellow inmate, while a shirtless prisoner watches. The arrangement of gestures and gazes suggests themes of authority, interpretation, and the tension between confinement and revelation.
Technique & Style
Mayr employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with illuminated faces and hands to model the figures dramatically. The limited palette and strong directional light echo early Italian Baroque influences, while the crisp rendering of textures and the intimate scale align with the artist’s broader portrait and genre work.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, having passed through several private collections after Mayr’s service as a court painter for the Electoral Court of Munich and the Habsburg household. Its attribution to Mayr rests on stylistic analysis and archival references to his religious commissions.
Context
Mayr’s career unfolded in Augsburg, a city where German and Italian artistic currents intersected during the mid‑17th century. His work on this biblical scene reflects the period’s demand for devotional images that combined dramatic lighting with narrative clarity, catering to both ecclesiastical patrons and secular courts.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Ulrich Mayr or Hans Ulrich Mayr, last name sometimes rendered as Mayer and Mair (1629 in Augsburg – 1704 in Augsburg) was a German Baroque painter and art educator.
