Führich, Josef

Josef Fuhrich (1800–1876)

The Entombment of Christ, (before 1836)

oil on canvas, 104×73,3 cm, Olomouc archbishopric – Kroměříž Archdiocesan Museum inv. no. KE 2945, O 274

The Kroměříž painting of the Entombment of Christ, influenced by Durers engravings, is a fine example of Fuhrichs late Nazarenism. When preparing the exhibition for the anniversary of five centuries of The Feast of the Rose-garlands by Albrecht Durer, curator Olga Kotková noticed several interesting details in the picture. She discovered a striking resemblance between Fuhrichs weeping Mary Magdalene (at extreme left in the picture) and the virgin in the restoration of Albrecht Durers Feast of the Rose-garlands by Johann Gruss. Fuhrichs elegant saints with oblong faces, downcast eyes, sharp noses and slightly protruding chins reveal that the restorer Gruss drew a lesson from his friend. If he had sought inspiration from the works of the old masters (Durer, Raffael) and tried to transfer their style to provincial Nazarenism, he would have failed as an artist. The adoption of Fuhrichs typology created a unity of style with the additions painted by Gruss.

Martina Potůčková