Mount of Olives

Künstler*in Paul Troger (1698 Welsberg im Pustertal – 1762 Wien)

Object typeGemälde
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
241 × 157 cm
SignatureUnbezeichnet
Inventory number4147
Locations Belvedere, Oberes Belvedere, 1. Obergeschoß (West), Raum NW2
Credit LineSeit 1781 in der kaiserlichen Gemäldegalerie nachweisbar.
In the night before his crucifixion, Christ prayed to his Father—his hands clasped in despair, his head bowed low. Whereas other artists included the sleeping disciples in this biblical scene from the Garden of Gethsemane, the painter Paul Troger focused entirely on Christ’s loneliness. An angel and crying putti in the background accompany him in his agony. Troger painted several versions of Christ praying on the Mount of Olives. This example represents a culmination in dramatic intensity, expressed through the chiaroscuro and the reduction of the figures. As a member and later rector of Vienna’s art academy, Paul Troger’s expressive style influenced many artists.