Ein Gebet der Tat: Die fruhe Genrekunst und die Froemmigkeit

The secular and religious spheres separated at the close of the late mediaeval period, but a fundamentally religious atmosphere influenced the beginnings of genre art in the second half of the 15th century. This study demonstrates that early genre paintings could convey Christian doctrinal content and episodes from the story of salvation using typified pictorial figures, such as Martin Schongauers Peasant Family Going to Market, the Wolfegg house book, and Peter Christs A Goldsmith in his Shop.

Format: Hardback
Length: 456 pages
Publication date: 12 September 2023
Publisher: De Gruyter

The late mediaeval period marked a significant divide between the secular and religious spheres, but this study reveals that a profoundly religious atmosphere played a crucial role in the emergence of genre art in the second half of the 15th century. A novel form of piety seamlessly merged everyday life, faith, and spiritualization, giving rise to a new artistic expression. Early genre paintings, therefore, had the capacity to convey Christian doctrinal content and episodes from the story of salvation through typified pictorial figures.

One notable example is Martin Schongauer's Peasant Family Going to Market, which portrays a contemporary interpretation of the Flight into Egypt narrative. Similarly, the Wolfegg house book serves as a practical devotional work, while Peter Christ's A Goldsmith in his Shop depicts a vocational scene. This monograph showcases these examples through in-depth pictorial analyses, shedding light on the profound influence of religious piety on the early development of genre painting.

Furthermore, this study incorporates late mediaeval sermon practice and the doctrine of remembrance into its analysis, providing a deeper understanding of the cultural and theological context in which these works were created. By exploring the interplay between religion, art, and piety, this study offers a fresh perspective on key early genre paintings and contributes to our understanding of the rich artistic heritage of the late mediaeval period.

Weight: 1237g
Dimension: 240 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783422988644