Between 1816 and 1817, German painter Friedrich Overbeck created one of his most famous frescoes, Joseph Sold by His Brothers, now housed in East Berlin’s Nationalgalerie. This monumental work, measuring 243×304 cm, represents one of the key moments in Overbeck’s career and in the artistic movement of the Nazarenes, of which he was one of the leading figures.
The Nazarene Movement and Its Artistic Vision
Friedrich Overbeck moved to Rome in 1810, where he settled in the former convent of San Isidoro. There, he joined the Nazarene group, a circle of German artists who aspired to renew art by returning to the spiritual and artistic values of the Italian Renaissance. This movement sought to move beyond the academic and formal art that dominated the time, aiming to rediscover a more authentic style inspired primarily by 15th-century masters like Perugino, Angelico, Signorelli, Lippi, and the young Raphael.
For the Nazarenes, art was meant to have a spiritual dimension, recovering religious and biblical subjects to communicate moral lessons and guide the viewer toward inner reflection. It is in this context that Joseph Sold by His Brothers fits, a work that, like many others from the group, draws its inspiration from the Holy Scriptures.
Description of the Work and Its Biblical Significance
Joseph Sold by His Brothers is part of a cycle of frescoes inspired by the life of Joseph, a biblical figure from the Old Testament. The scene depicts the moment when Joseph, betrayed by his envious brothers, is sold to Egyptian merchants. This episode symbolizes both betrayal and redemption, central themes not only in the biblical narrative but also in the moral vision of the Nazarenes.
The fresco stands out for its sober composition and the use of clean, harmonious lines, typical elements of the Renaissance art admired by the Nazarenes. Overbeck’s color palette is simple and raw, applied with smooth and uniform brushstrokes, in keeping with the group’s austere and spiritual aesthetic. This stylistic choice was aimed at creating a sense of sanctity and purity, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the moral themes expressed in the work.
The Fresco Cycle and the Role of the Nazarenes in Rome
Joseph Sold by His Brothers was part of a larger cycle of frescoes commissioned from the Nazarene artists by Prussian consul Bartholdy. These frescoes were intended to decorate a room in his residence on the Pincian Hill in Rome (now the home of the Hertziana Library). The cycle depicted various episodes from Joseph’s life, with the goal of conveying religious and moral teachings through art.
The series of frescoes, later removed from its original setting in the late 19th century, attests to the influence that the Nazarenes had not only on the Roman artistic scene but also on German and European culture. Their spiritual approach to art and their rediscovery of the Renaissance as a model of purity and aesthetic simplicity left a profound mark on 19th- century art history.
The Legacy of Overbeck and the Nazarenes
Friedrich Overbeck and the Nazarenes helped redefine the role of art in the 19th century, seeing it not only as an aesthetic tool but also as a means of moral and spiritual elevation. Their works, including Joseph Sold by His Brothers, represent a return to the essential values of art, capable of speaking to the viewer’s soul and connecting past and present in a universal vision of good and evil.
Overbeck’s work and that of his contemporaries remain a cornerstone for studies of Romantic art and spirituality in art, continuing to inspire artists and scholars worldwide.