The Glorification of the Royal Hungarian Saints

Franz Anton Maulbertsch

ca. 1772–73 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

Monochrome, or grisaille, oil sketches allowed artists to work out complex light effects independent of the diverse color palettes used in their final paintings. This work, with its sophisticated spatial organization, was executed for the Hungarian Cathedral Basilica of Győr by Maulbertsch, who painted in the Venetian tradition embodied by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Saint Ladislaus I, king of Hungary in the late eleventh century, appears at lower left, while Saint Stephen, who ruled several decades earlier, and his son Saint Emeric are shown at the summit of clouds. Careful use of a subtle range of whites and light gray creates the illusion that the Trinity hovers in the heavens, far above the other figures.

Artist

Franz Anton Maulbertsch

Date

ca. 1772–73

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of European Paintings Gifts, 2007