From the property of the Grand Duchy of Hesse

From the property of the Grand Duchy of Hesse
Anton Raffael Mengs
Aussig 1728 – 1779 Rome, attributed
Dream of St Joseph
High quality workshop repetition of the painting of the same name in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Gemäldegalerie, 124)
Oil on canvas, relined
112 x 85 cm, with frame 124 x 97.5 cm
Provenance: label and seal of the Grand Duchy of Hesse on the reverse (“Gr. Hss. Ministerium. Grosh. Hausses u. d. Äusseren”, coat of arms of the state of Hesse)

The immediate depiction shows the sleeping Joseph, who receives divine news in the form of an angel, namely that he is to go to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus to escape the threat of Herod. St. Joseph is sitting at his bench, one of his carpentry tools leaning against the table in front of him, the other still in his hand. With his right hand resting on the workbench, he has sunk into a deep sleep, his robe draped loosely over his body. Behind him, an angel appears as the transmitter of divine instruction, whose appearance is visible to the viewer but eludes Joseph’s closed eyes. The angel with flowing hair, probably suggesting a sudden approach, has raised his left hand in front of his body in an inviting gesture, while his right hand points into the distance, presumably towards Egypt.
The soft contours of the figures reveal elements of sfumato painting. The explicit frontality and clear conception of the picture’s content show the departure from Baroque art and the turn towards Classicism, of which Anton Raphael Mengs was also a key pioneer. This painting is a high-quality workshop repetition of the painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (Gemäldegalerie 124). The provenance of the painting is also particularly noteworthy, as it comes from the Grand Duchy of Hesse, as evidenced by a label and seal on the reverse.