Saint Materne Preaches Christianity In A Village In The Sundgau Of Hansi

Indian ink and watercolor on strong paper by the artist Hansi. In the foreground is Saint Materne, who is credited with the evangelization of Alsace, standing before a crowd. Saint Materne was Bishop of Cologne at the end of the 3rd century AD, and is said to have been commissioned to create a place of worship in Ehl, near Benfeld in Alsace. The crowd listening to him attentively is made up of men carrying their work tools, women, children, and farm animals. Two Roman soldiers are present. Behind them are a temple, a thatched house, and a stone building. In the background, a hill and a fortification wall overlook the scene. Signature bottom left Dimensions: 33.5 x 25 cm Dimensions with frame: 39.1 x 46.1 cm Jean-Jacques Waltz, known as Hansi, was born in 1873 in Colmar and died in the same city in 1951. He took courses in industrial design, decorative arts, and fine arts in Lyon before becoming a textile designer in Cernay and then devoting himself fully to his art, drawing. He was curator of the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar and was known for his postcard illustrations in Alsace. Close to the artists Kreyder and Charles Spindler, he was committed to maintaining Alsatian particularism. He produced numerous anti-German caricatures and signed himself "Hansi" to protect himself from reprimands. This name is the contraction of his two first names in German, Hans for Jean, followed by the "I" of Iakob for Jacques. His works can be seen at the Hansi Museum in Colmar.