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Artwork dossier

Artwork dossier: Christnacht

Order Christnacht as a hand-painted oil edition

Albin Egger-Lienz, Christnacht. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

Christnacht artwork fact sheet

Artist
Albin Egger-Lienz originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/albin-egger-lienz/
Artist’s dates
1868 – 1926
Movement
Symbolism Pictures where objects stand for ideas — a flower or a door meaning something beyond itself.

In context

Christnacht — Albin Egger-Lienz

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1860
  2. 1870
  3. 1880
  4. 1890
  5. 1900
  6. 1910
  7. 1920

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 58 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Albin Egger-Lienz (1868–1926) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1893 Main working years: 1893–1925 Late works: from 1925

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Black #150d0c

    Catalogued palette

    • #150D0C
    • #0A0808
    • #853826
    • #3E1A13

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Monochrome The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Black
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Albin Egger-Lienz over the last twelve months — 8 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 72.5%2,900 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 7.5%300 visits
    3. 3 Austria 5.0%200 visits
    4. 4 Russia 5.0%200 visits
    5. 5 Japan 2.5%100 visits
    6. 6 Netherlands 2.5%100 visits
    7. 7 Singapore 2.5%100 visits
    8. 8 Slovakia 2.5%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Albin Egger-Lienz

    1. 1 Ila, die jüngere Tochter des Künstlers, 1920 7.1%300 visits
    2. 2 Female head with binding to the hair 4.8%200 visits
    3. 3 The Portrait Painter In The Country 4.8%200 visits
    4. 4 Male head with bitter expression 4.8%200 visits
    5. 5 Die Alten, 1914 4.8%200 visits
    6. 6 Hulda, 1903 4.8%200 visits
    7. 7 Savoy arden knabe 2.4%100 visits
    8. 8 Madonna 2.4%100 visits
    9. 9 Holy Night 2.4%100 visits
    10. 10 The Cross - 2.4%100 visits
    11. 11 Kalvarienberg At Bozen 2.4%100 visits
    12. 12 Sower and the Devil 2.4%100 visits
    13. 13 Knight with sword 2.4%100 visits
    14. 14 Female curls with laughing expression 2.4%100 visits
    15. 15 Two Overs 2.4%100 visits
    16. 16 Christnacht this painting 2.4%100 visits
    17. 17 Teenage curly head, laughing 2.4%100 visits
    18. 18 The dead christ 2.4%100 visits
    19. 19 The Sandpergerin Rottin and his wife 2.4%100 visits
    20. 20 Two mountain mower 2.4%100 visits

    Together these works take 64.7% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 184 works by this artist, of which 35 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 16 of them, with 2.4% of that attention (100 visits). The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Albin Egger-Lienz

    Born in Stribach, Austria

    Albin Egger-Lienz: Life and Legacy

    Early Life and Training

    Born: January 29, 1868, in Dölsach-Stribach near Lienz, Tyrol, Austria.

    Parentage: He was the natural son of Maria Trojer, a peasant girl, and Georg Egger, a church painter. He later adopted his father’s surname combined with his birthplace.

    His initial artistic education came from his father, laying the foundation for his future career.

    He continued his studies at the Academy in Munich, where he was profoundly influenced by artists like Franz Defregger and Jean-François Millet.

    Artistic Development and Influences

    Egger-Lienz’s early works focused on scenes of peasant life and historical events, particularly the Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809.

    Key Influence: The artist Ferdinand Hodler significantly impacted Egger-Lienz's style, leading to a monumental expressiveness characterized by heroic figures in stage-like spaces.

    He joined the Vienna Secession in 1909, further solidifying his position within the Austrian art scene.

    His artistic language evolved towards strongly outlined, massive forms painted with an almost monochromatic palette of earth colors.

    Major Works and Achievements

    Notable Paintings: Some of his most renowned works include “Der Totentanz von anno neun” (1906-1908), “Almlandschaft im Ötztal” (1911), and “Den Namenlosen” (1916).

    He participated in the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, receiving a bronze medal for his painting "Feldsegen."

    During World War I, he served as a war painter on the southern Austrian front.

    His later works often incorporated religious themes alongside scenes of peasant life, such as “Christ’s Resurrection.”

    Historical Significance and Legacy

    Unique Style: Egger-Lienz blended elements of Expressionism with traditional Austrian art, creating a distinctive style that set him apart from his contemporaries.

    His work often explored themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the connection between humanity and nature.

    He declined multiple professorships at prestigious academies, preferring to maintain artistic independence.

    Lasting Impact: His paintings continue to be celebrated for their emotional power and monumental scale, representing a significant contribution to Austrian art history.

    Final Years and Death

    Egger-Lienz spent his final years painting frescoes for the Memorial Chapel of the Fallen in War in Lienz.

    Death: He passed away on November 4, 1926, in St. Justina-Rentsch, Bozen/Bolzano, South Tyrol/Alto Adige, Italy, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy.

    Albin Egger-Lienz study guide: keep exploring

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Christnacht

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/

    Citing this artwork: Christnacht

    MLA
    Egger-Lienz, Albin. Christnacht. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/
    APA
    Egger-Lienz, Albin (n.d.). Christnacht [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/
    Chicago
    Albin Egger-Lienz. Christnacht. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/
    Harvard
    Egger-Lienz, Albin (n.d.) Christnacht. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/albin-egger-lienz-christnacht-9HTLFJ-en/

    For art students and researchers

    Christnacht — Albin Egger-Lienz

    Close-looking art worksheet on Christnacht, for students and researchers

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 6 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: religious devotion, dark atmosphere, monastic rituals. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at Madonna, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    Where can I find statistics about "Christnacht" by Albin Egger-Lienz?

    The Stats page of "Christnacht" by Albin Egger-Lienz presents public visit statistics: monthly visits of this artwork, a comparison with the artist's most viewed works, and where its visitors come from.

    Where does "Christnacht" stand among Albin Egger-Lienz's recurring subjects?

    Among Albin Egger-Lienz's recorded themes - key symbolist work, intense emotionality, exploration of faith, hodler's symbolism, late 19th century, austrian expression, religious piety, monastic life - "Christnacht" brings its own focus on religious devotion, dark atmosphere, monastic rituals, dramatic lighting, symbolic imagery, austrian art, medieval themes.

    Is "Christnacht" by Albin Egger-Lienz a light or a dark artwork?

    The recorded values for "Christnacht" by Albin Egger-Lienz are: deep_shadow brightness, dark luminance.

    What aliases or alternate names does Albin Egger-Lienz have?

    Albin Egger-Lienz appears under the alternate names Egger Lienz, Albin Egger, Ingenuin Albuin Trojer, Albin F. Egger-Lienz, アルビン・エッガー=リエンツ.

    Why is the copyright status of "Christnacht" what it is?

    "Christnacht" by Albin Egger-Lienz is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. Copyright terms are measured from the artist's death, and Albin Egger-Lienz died in 1926.

    All the questions and answers about Christnacht