The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus (Kaulbach)

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The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus (Wilhelm von Kaulbach)
The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
Wilhelm von Kaulbach , 1846
Oil on canvas
585 × 705 cm
New Pinakothek , Munich

The destruction of Jerusalem by Titus is a historical picture by Wilhelm von Kaulbach . It was painted in oil on canvas in 1846.

The colossal painting is exhibited in the Neue Pinakothek in room 13 (inventory no. WAF 403). It has an area of ​​approx. 40 m². King Ludwig I bought the painting for the Bavarian-Royal Picture Gallery in Munich. The price of 35,000 guilders was a record at the time.

Art-historical classification

The picture can be assigned to the neo-baroque style and belongs to the works of the Nazarenes (academic painting). In addition to Kaulbach, Piloty and Makart also painted historical pictures in Munich at the same time . The painting is one of the artist's main works.

motive

The historical background is the siege of Jerusalem (70 AD) and its conquest by Roman troops under the general and later emperor Titus .

The picture also contains religious statements:

The following is shown in detail:

  • Above: Four Old Testament prophets who foretold the fall of Jerusalem (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel sit on a cloud, facing the viewer head-on; the right figure points down to Titus)
  • Top right: Titus, leader of the Roman troops, with a small triumphal procession
  • Bottom right: A Christian family is fleeing the city. The representation is based closely on the type of flight to Egypt . Some of the family members ride donkeys. The front donkey, on which a mother with two small children is sitting, eats a thistle while running. Behind it, three protective angels walk with a shining chalice . To the left of them are three Jewish children kneeling down and begging to be taken away. The family holds palm branches, here a symbol of peace ( fig. ).
  • Bottom left in the middle: An old Jewish man with a Mosaic beard guards part of the saved temple treasures with a sword.
  • Bottom left: Ahasuerus (embodiment of the " Eternal Jew ") escapes and is persecuted by three demons ( Fig. )
  • About it: a mother protects her newborn from cannibals (analogous to the legend of Eusebius of Caesarea )
  • Top left: The burning temple of Jerusalem (second destruction), depicted like hell.
  • Middle above: Angels with rods or flaming swords; further angels with trumpets , a figure holds up a standard with the inscription SPQR .
  • Middle: The high priest commits suicide, next to his wife, who begs him to kill her first. To the right of his children ( fig. )

Battle scenes are not shown, the conquest is largely complete. To the left of the sacrificial altar (in the middle) there are still some Jewish citizens who are terrified and hide behind shields. At the time of its creation, the emancipation of Judaism was topical in Central Europe, which may have given rise to it.

The picture is almost theatrical.

Image composition

The painting is rectangular (wider than it is high). The picture structure is roughly two-part (left: Judaism and Jews, right: Christianity and Christian family). There are essentially several groups of figures, only the temple of Jerusalem is shown in the top left. The winner is shown only marginally.

Some areas of the image are thematically dark or light. Furthermore, there are cold and warm colors depending on the subject of the image area. The scene generally shows darkness (night or darkening by smoke). At the upper corners (architectural arched frame) there were originally prophecies in Latin. These were destroyed in World War II. Instead, this area was painted over in solid gold.

Web links

Commons : Kaulbach, Wilhelm von - The Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Website of the Pinakotheken, The Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, https://www.pinakothek.de/kunst/wilhelm-von-kaulbach/die-zerstoerung-jerusalems-durch-titus
  2. ↑ Fig. With location and annotations