Artwork
Auferweckung des Lazarus
Auferweckung des Lazarus is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Maerten de Vos. It dates from 1570 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1570, *Auferweckung des Lazarus* is an oil painting by the Flemish artist Maerten de Vos. Executed during the late Renaissance Mannerist period, the work depicts the biblical miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection and is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a wounded figure on the ground, surrounded by men in contemporary dress who react with shock, concern, and pointing gestures. A kneeling figure attends the injured body, while the surrounding landscape—a dark forest and a distant skyline with a domed structure—provides a setting that underscores the dramatic moment of divine intervention.
Technique & Style
De Vos employs pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting bright illumination on faces and garments with deep shadows in the background. This handling of light enhances the three‑dimensionality of the figures and directs the viewer’s attention to the emotional core of the scene, a hallmark of Mannerist visual rhetoric.
History & Provenance
Active in the Spanish Netherlands, de Vos rose to prominence after the decline of Frans Floris, becoming a leading painter of history subjects and portraiture. He collaborated with Antwerp publishers, providing designs for prints that circulated throughout Europe. The painting eventually entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, where it remains on display.
Context
The work reflects the broader Flemish engagement with religious narratives during the Counter‑Reformation, when dramatic, emotionally charged imagery was encouraged to reinforce faith. De Vos’s approach aligns with the Mannerist tendency toward complex compositions and heightened expressiveness, situating the painting within the artistic currents of late‑sixteenth‑century Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maerten de Vos, Maerten de Vos the Elder or Marten de Vos (1532 – 4 December 1603) was a Flemish painter, known mainly for his history and allegorical paintings and portraits.
