Artwork
Anbetung der Heiligen Drei Könige
Anbetung der Heiligen Drei Könige is an unspecified painting by Martin Johann Schmidt. It dates from 1768 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1768 by Austrian painter Martin Johann Schmidt, commonly known as Kremser Schmidt, the work titled *Anbetung der Heiligen Drei Könige* presents a nocturnal religious gathering centered on a mother and infant. The composition is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, offering a glimpse into the devotional art produced in the late Baroque‑Rococo era.
Subject & Meaning
The scene portrays a group of figures surrounding a woman cradling a child, evoking the adoration of the infant Jesus. A kneeling figure reaches toward the baby, while others look upward toward a luminous source, suggesting reverence and the spiritual illumination associated with the Nativity narrative.
Technique & Style
Schmidt employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with a bright, top‑left light that bathes the central figures. This handling of illumination creates a focal glow around the mother and child, while the surrounding participants emerge from darkness, emphasizing their emotional responses and the sacred atmosphere.
History & Provenance
A native of Lower Austria, Schmidt was active mainly in the Stein region, where he executed extensive decorative programs for churches and monasteries. His reputation as a leading late Baroque artist led to the painting’s acquisition by the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum’s collection of 18th‑century Austrian art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martin Johann Schmidt, called Kremser Schmidt or Kremserschmidt, (25 September 1718 – 28 June 1801), was one of the outstanding Austrian painters of the late Baroque/Rococo along with Franz Anton Maulbertsch.
