The Death of Emperor Ferdinand III as an Allegory of Transience (around 1660)
Daniel Neuberger (1621, Augsburg – 1680, Regensburg)
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
This work is a memorial and allegorical devotional object dedicated to the death of Emperor Ferdinand III. In the 17th century, such compositions were used as meditative objects encouraging reflection on the transience of life (memento mori tradition).
Place of origin: Vienna (Wien)
Object type: devotional image (Andachtsbild); wax relief composition (Wachsbossierung)
Materials and Technique: Wax, lead, glass, shell, dried flowers, parchment; oak wood with ebony veneer (frame); spruce wood (core structure)
Dimensions: 25 × 34 × 11 cm (object), 37.2 × 47.5 × 17.5 cm (frame)
Inscription: Latin inscription: “VIVI”
Artistic Characteristics: mixed-media construction (wax combined with organic and fragile materials) creating a highly illusionistic scene; strong emphasis on detail and naturalism; intensive symbolic meaning related to death, decay, and the fragility of existence; characteristic Baroque dramatic visual language
