The Concina Family before the Holy Virgin and the Christ Child - Franz Hanfstaengl

A detailed lithographic reproduction by Franz Hanfstaengl, depicting the Concina family in a devotional scene after the original painting by Paolo Veronese.

This fine art print is a lithographic reproduction by Franz Hanfstaengl, based on the sixteenth-century painting by Paolo Veronese. Hanfstaengl was a prominent nineteenth-century German lithographer, known for his technical precision in translating complex oil paintings into monochrome prints. His work allowed the public to engage with masterworks held in European collections, such as the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, where the original Veronese is housed.

The composition depicts the Concina family, a Venetian noble house, presented to the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. The scene is structured with a classical architectural element, a large column, which separates the sacred figures from the mortal family members. To the left, the Virgin sits with the infant Jesus, accompanied by Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome. The family members are arranged in a formal, processional manner, dressed in the elaborate attire typical of the Venetian Renaissance. The print captures the tonal range of the original painting, utilising subtle shading to define the textures of the heavy fabrics, the marble surfaces, and the soft features of the figures.

Hanfstaengl’s approach to this reproduction is faithful to the original composition, maintaining the balance between the devotional subject matter and the portraiture of the donors. The lithographic process allows for a clear rendering of the spatial depth, from the foreground figures to the distant architectural background. This print serves as a record of the nineteenth-century interest in reproducing Renaissance art for educational and decorative purposes. It offers a view into the technical capabilities of the era, where lithography was the primary medium for disseminating visual culture across Europe. The print remains a clear example of the intersection between historical painting and the industrialisation of art reproduction.