702 - J. THAETER (*1804) after SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD (*1794), Barbarossa’s Entry into Milan, 1842, Steel

J. THAETER (*1804) after SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD (*1794), Barbarossa’s Entry into Milan, 1842, Steel Julius Cäsar Thaeter (1804 Dresden – 1870 Munich) after Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794 Leipzig – 1872 Dresden): Frederick Barbarossa’s Entry into Milan, 1842, steel engraving Technique: Steel engraving on paper Stamp: At the bottom: Blank stamp, Kunstverein in München. Inscription: At the bottom, inscribed on the printing plate: "Designed by Julius Schnorr, executed as an encaustic painting in the Saal=Bau in Munich and engraved after the cartoon by Julius Thaeter / Frederick Barbarossa’s Entry into Milan / presented by the Kunstverein in Munich to its members for the year 1842. / Printed by Wendelin Wick, Munich". Date: 1842 Description: After Emperor Frederick I “Barbarossa” had been mythologized in the Kyffhäuser Saga, he was stylized in 1817 by Friedrich Rückert’s famous poem *Barbarossa Saga* as the symbolic figure of German national unity, a theme that also found expression in the visual arts. In 1835, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria to paint the banquet hall of the Munich Residenz with monumental historical paintings and to design one of the antechambers leading to Ludwig’s throne room with a pictorial series depicting Barbarossa’s reign. In a prominent position next to the door leading to the throne room was the depiction of Barbarossa’s entry into Milan, which Schnorr himself described in a letter as “[…] one of the best compositions I have made for this historical cycle[…]”. In the chaotic-looking scene, the triumphant Barbarossa rides into Milan—conquered in 1162 after long battles—with the victorious emperor clearly set off by his heroic pose at the center of the depiction. In the foreground, as on the triumphal arch in the background, the subjugated Milanese are already forced to tear down the defenses and reminders of past victories on their own. In this depiction, however, one looks in vain for the glorified national hero of the Kyffhäuser saga. Rather, in this scene, Barbarossa radiates the authority and power of the imperial ruler who unites his empire and subdues rebellious individuals. Carolsfeld based the design of his scenes on the work *Geschichte der Hohenstaufen und ihrer Zeit* (History of the Hohenstaufens and Their Times) by the historian Friedrich von Raumer, published in 1823, but also studied old engravings and views in order to depict the medieval buildings of the settings as authentically as possible. As a scenic representation, the mural stands out as an ideal embodiment of the Nazarene conception of art, as ecclesiastical and secular rulers appear side by side in harmony, yet religion is superior to the secular princes. This also creates a striking tension with the depiction of the triumphal entry into Milan. Keywords: Emperor Frederick I; “Barbarossa”; Kyffhäuser Saga; Friedrich Rückert; Barbarossa Saga poem; German national unity; fine arts; Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld; King Ludwig I of Bavaria; Munich Residence; history paintings; throne room; Milan; heroic pose; authority; power; imperial ruler; Hohenstaufen; Frederick von Raumer; Nazarene conception of art; ecclesiastical rule; secular rule; arc of tension; 19th century; Romanticism; military; Italy; Size: Paper: 68.2 cm x 74.3 cm (26.9 x 29.3 in), Plate: 63.6 cm x 63.2 cm (25 x 24.9 in), Image area: 55.4 cm x 59.0 cm (21.8 x 23.2 in) Condition: Very good condition. Slight creases (reinforced) at the upper margin, outside the image.