“Pietà”, 1926

Albin Egger-Lienz (1868–1926) chose to depict biblical scenes in the pastoral, the environment most familiar to him. In this sparsely furnished room, there is nothing which can disturb the resonant peace. The scene’s protagonists grieve quietly and solemnly. Their rigid faces evoke their deep belief in the hereafter – that which helps them through this most difficult hour. The central motif of the recumbent corpse was preceded by a series of studies. Its foreshortened perspective suggests a tribute to The Lamentation of Christ by Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506) from Brera, Milan. Overall, the image has a voyeuristic quality, which is emphasized by the raised perspective that can be discerned by the skewed tabletop and, particularly, by the angles of the floor and wall in the background. The arrangement of the figures follows strict principles of symmetry and is neglected only in the bottom left corner, which remains empty. In this last monumental work by Albin Egger-Lienz, it seems that every other typical element of dramaturgy is missing and that the magnitude of scale and simplicity of composition were of greater consequence.

SK, 2019