Votive Painting (ex Voto), Oil On Canvas: "the Apparition Of The Virgin", Germany, 1792

This votive painting was offered in 1792 as a token of gratitude and in honor of Saint Valentine. The donor, Andreas Christoph Lemberger, was administrator of the Mallersdorf estate and exempt monastery, as well as holder of several fiefs and seigniorial rights in the region, notably under the comital jurisdiction of Gänsenhausen and in the barony of Nothhafft, near Habsbach. The scene depicts the donor kneeling, a rosary in his hand, turned towards the Virgin and Child, who appear in a frame held by angels. A bouquet of flowers and celestial light accentuate the devotional dimension of the image. The work belongs to the tradition of the ex-voto, an expression of popular piety: an image offered in thanksgiving or supplication, generally following an illness, the overcoming of danger, or to demonstrate a particular devotion. It needs restoration (wear and tear, damage).