Attributed to Johann König

Attributed to JOHANN KÖNIG (Nuremberg, 1586 – Nuremberg, 1642).
"The Adoration of the Angels," ca. 1620s.
Oil on copper.
The attribution to Johann König was made by Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Jan De Maere on January 20, 2023.
It shows slight surface wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 26.5 x 20.8 cm; 41.7 x 35.7 cm (frame).

This delicate painting on copper stands out for the meticulousness of its execution and its sophisticated use of light, qualities closely associated with Johann König’s small-format works. The scene depicts the Virgin and Saint Joseph gathered around the Child, surrounded by a large angelic retinue, while the opening onto the nocturnal landscape introduces depth and contrasts the earthly realm with the celestial expanse.

Particularly striking is the inclusion of elements that foreshadow the Passion of Christ. Above the Child appears the cross bearing the inscription “INRI,” while the putti in the upper section carry the future instruments of martyrdom—including the crown of thorns, the nails, and the hammer. In this way, the joyful episode of the Nativity incorporates a premonitory interpretation of Christ’s sacrifice, considerably enriching the iconographic content of the composition. The market listing attributing the work to De Maere also highlights the quality of the painting and its skillful treatment of light.

The copper support lends itself to a smooth and precise painterly texture, particularly well-suited to König’s meticulous brushwork and characteristic effects of light. The artist achieved particular recognition precisely for his small-format paintings intended for private collections. His stay in Venice and, later, in Rome between 1610 and 1614 exposed his artistic language to Italian painting and to the Northern circle active in the city; the influence of Adam Elsheimer and Hans Rottenhammer proved particularly significant in his development. After returning to Germany, he settled in Augsburg, where he attained a prominent position within the painters’ guild.

The combination of figures with elegant gestures, intense chromatic richness, and a luminous landscape finds strong parallels in the artist’s authentic works. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds his *Resurrection of Christ*, signed and dated 1622 and also executed in oil on copper, in which the museum highlights the vividness of the color, the precision of the brushwork, and the luminous landscape.

Johann König was a German painter, miniaturist, and draftsman particularly prized for his refined compositions on copper. After his training and travels through Venice and Rome, he spent much of his career in Augsburg before returning to Nuremberg in 1631. His works are held, among other institutions, at the Musée du Louvre, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, and the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.