Ratgebs Mariä Verkündigung im Karmeliterkloster in Frankfurt am Main after 1850

Christian Becker made this watercolor artwork titled Ratgebs Mariä Verkündigung im Karmeliterkloster in Frankfurt am Main, which translates to Ratgeb's Annunciation in the Carmelite Monastery in Frankfurt am Main, in the 19th Century. Becker's image represents a famous altarpiece that was destroyed during the secularization of Frankfurt's monasteries after 1803. In its formal composition, the artist has adopted the model of Early Renaissance panel painting. But what are we to make of this revival of old forms during the emergence of modernism? In 19th-century Germany, the medieval past was used as an ideological battleground. Here, Becker makes a statement of faith. His meticulous copy serves as a conservative affirmation of Christian values against the rising tide of secularism and revolutionary fervor. To understand this image more fully, you might explore the history of religious institutions in Frankfurt, as well as the development of Christian dogma and iconographic traditions. This is a reminder that artworks always speak from a particular social and institutional context.