Franz Hanfstaengl, Ecce Agnus Dei, 1898, Engraving, Framed

Engraving “Ecce Agnus Dei” Franz Hanfstaengl, 1898 – Germany

Exceptional engraving by Franz Hanfstaengl, renowned German painter and lithographer of the 19th century. The scene is titled “Ecce Agnus Dei”, translated as “Behold the Lamb of God”. It shows a Holy Family, along with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John and a choir of putti who look out and pray while observing the scene.

In the center of the composition is the baby Jesus, sitting on his mother's lap. Saint John, who turns to look at the viewer, carries a cross on which a phylactery is entangled that reads "Behold the Lamb of God" while pointing to Jesus. The baby Jesus raises his hand, as a sign of identification with the phylactery, accepting his destiny as savior of men through his sacrifice. Given this, the Virgin Mary, with her head lowered, seems to try to lower her son's arm, while Joseph appears resigned to accepting the divine plan. In the lower right corner some lilies grow, a symbol of purity.

The total mastery of the drawing by the author is evident, visible in the realism and the level of detail with which the figures are treated. The faces of the infants are especially sweet. The title of the work is located at the bottom, along with the name of the author, year of production and information about its printing in Munich.

Franz Seraph Hanfstaengl (Bad Tölz, 1804 – Munich, 1877)

Franz Seraph Hanfstaengl was a renowned Bavarian painter, lithographer and court photographer. He was born into a humble peasant family, although at a very young age he moved to Munich to begin his artistic training studying drawing with Hermann Josef Mitterer. There he studied from 1819 to 1825 at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts and graduated as a lithographer. He maintained contact with Aloys Senefelder. As a society lithographer in Munich, Hanfstaengl became very popular. In 1833 he created his own lithography workshop in Munich, which he ran until 1868 and to which he later added an art publisher and a photography studio. from 1835 to 1852 Hanfstaengl produced nearly 200 lithographic reproductions of the masterpieces of the Dresden Art Gallery and published them. He later became the royal household photographer and took portraits of famous people, including the young King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto von Bismarck, and Empress Elisabeth of Austria.


Technique on support: Engraving on paper
Title of the work: “Ecce Agnus Dei”
Author: Franz Hanfstaengl
Year: 1898
Country of origin: Germany
Good condition according to its age and use / Deteriorated mat, does not affect the integrity of the work
Overall dimensions: 76 x 97 x 3 cm.
Dimensions without frame: 48 x 60 cm.


The frame that protects the work is offered as a gift, but has value in itself. It is provided at no additional cost so that when your artwork arrives at your home or destination it can be displayed immediately. Any damage to the frame itself, which does not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request a cancellation.