Daniel in the lion’s den 1886

Hans Thoma painted ‘Daniel in the Lion’s Den’ around the turn of the 20th century, engaging with traditions of religious painting in modern Germany. The image of Daniel among the lions has a long history in Christian art, where it symbolizes faith, salvation, and divine intervention. Thoma’s Daniel, bathed in light, is in communion with a higher power. But what makes this painting modern? Daniel is an ordinary man, alone in the forest. Where are the angels, the heavenly hosts? Thoma’s picture speaks to a changing conception of religion, one that emphasizes the power of individual faith, and a personal relationship with God. To understand the painting better, we might ask what role religion played in German culture at this time. How were artists responding to the secularizing forces of modernity? The historian explores these questions by considering how artistic traditions speak to the social and political issues of their time.