Copyright This work is in the public domain. Albin Egger-Lienz died in 1926; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1996.
In context
Madonna — Albin Egger-Lienz
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?
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
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Measured from the image
Main colour
Driftwood #c19f5d
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
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.
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 8 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.
About this artwork
Madonna — Albin Egger-Lienz
A woman sits in the dimness, her blue dress a cool weight against the warmth of the child held to her chest. She is a figure of heavy, monumental presence, her form outlined with a strength that feels carved from the earth itself. In the corner, a small lantern casts a low, flickering light, a single point of warmth in a space that feels both intimate and vast. The scene is not one of celestial light, but of a humble, terrestrial reality. It is the quietude of a peasant's life, where the sacred is found in the weight of a sleeping infant and the stillness of a dark room.
The composition rejects the airy lightness of traditional religious scenes, opting instead for a flattened, mosaic-like space. The colors are pulled from the soil—browns, ochres, and deep earth tones that bind the figures to the ground. The artist uses a heavy, expressive hand to define the shapes, creating a sense of permanence through thick, deliberate strokes. This approach strips away the decorative to focus on the essential gravity of the moment.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Movement: Vienna Secession
Subject: A mother and child in a poor stable
Palette: Monochromatic earth colors and deep blues
There is a profound stillness in the way the figures occupy the frame. The background figures remain distant, mere shadows that emphasize the central connection between mother and son. The light from the lantern does not illuminate a grand cathedral, but a modest shelter, suggesting a birth that is grounded in the struggle of human existence. The painting captures a moment of profound solitude and quiet strength. The light flickers, then fades.
Artist and museum
Born in Stribach, Austria
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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Art quiz
Madonna — Albin Egger-Lienz
Tick one answer for each of the 5 questions below. Each has exactly one correct answer.
1. What is the medium used for this painting?
2. In what year was this artwork created?
3. What is the physical dimension of the painting?
4. Which art movement was the artist a member of since 1909?
5. Where is the light source located in the painting?
My score: ____ out of 5
This starts a fresh printed page, so it can simply be left out of the copies.
1A · 2B · 3A · 4B · 5C
Check any answer against the catalogue record for this painting
For art students and researchers
Madonna — Albin Egger-Lienz
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
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.
Within Albin Egger-Lienz's output, "Madonna" sits in the Vienna Secession style, alongside the themes of franz defregger influence, jean-françois millet influence, ferdinand hodler influence, religious themes, peasant life themes, vienna secession style.
As a present, "Madonna" by Albin Egger-Lienz is suggested for mother's day. Other occasions can fit as well.
"Madonna" belongs to the Vienna Secession movement, and its creator worked in the 19th-Century era.
The colors of "Madonna" by Albin Egger-Lienz have a clear color presence saturation. Saturation describes how vivid or muted the colors are.