The Last Evening of a Soldier Condemned to Death

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Künstler*in Carl Schindler (1821 Wien – 1842 Laab im Walde)

Object typeGemälde
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
60 x 81 cm
SignatureSign. und dat. unten links: Carl Schindler 1840
Inventory number957
Locations Derzeit nicht ausgestellt
It is a heartbreaking farewell. One final time, the father takes the hand of his son while the mother embraces her child. His bride kneels—like Mary Magdalene beneath the cross—at the feet of the soldier condemned to death. Sitting slightly apart, an officer supervises the arrest. He twirls his moustache absentmindedly. Like Pontius Pilate, who washes his hands after condemning Christ, he clearly demonstrates that he feels no responsibility for this death sentence. The soldier’s fate is sealed: he will die. A contrast to the drama of the scene is the serene view from the window. Soft evening light falls onto the landscape and the crucifix on the table. A monk looks on in devout contemplation.