Artwork
The Institution of the Eucharist
The Institution of the Eucharist is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Franz Anton Maulbertsch. It dates from 1765 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1765, *The Institution of the Eucharist* is an etching and engraving executed on laid paper. The Austrian artist Franz Anton Maulbertsch, best known for his Rococo frescoes, applied his painterly sensibility to the print medium, producing a composition that balances decorative lightness with a solemn religious theme.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a gathering of figures around a table, with a central standing man presiding over the ritual. The participants wear simple, flowing robes, and their faces convey a range of emotional responses, emphasizing the spiritual intensity of the Eucharistic ceremony.
Technique & Style
Maulbertsch combined etching and engraving to achieve varied line work and tonal contrast. Strong chiaroscuro creates depth, while the fluid, expressive lines echo the dynamic compositions typical of Rococo painting, translating a painterly approach into the graphic language of print.
History & Provenance
Born in Langenargen in 1724, Maulbertsch trained at the Academy of Vienna and absorbed influences from Venetian masters such as Piazzetta, Pittoni, and the frescoes of Sebastiano Ricci at Schönbrunn. Though primarily a fresco painter, he produced a modest number of prints, of which this work is a notable example.
Context
The print reflects mid‑18th‑century Central European art, where Rococo’s ornamental elegance was adapted to religious subjects. By rendering a sacred scene with the lightness and movement characteristic of secular decoration, Maulbertsch bridges devotional content and contemporary aesthetic trends.
Legacy
While Maulbertsch’s reputation rests largely on his large‑scale frescoes, *The Institution of the Eucharist* demonstrates his ability to transpose Rococo visual principles into printmaking, offering scholars insight into the cross‑medium experimentation of the period.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Franz Anton Maulbertsch (7 June 1724 – 8 August 1796) was an Austrian painter and engraver, one of the most renowned exponents of Rococo painting in the German and Hungarian regions.
