Christenfreude in Lied und Bild

Art Historical Context

"Christenfreude in und Bild" (Christian Joy in Song and Image), published in 1855, is a charming devotional book that intertwines sacred hymns with exquisite illustrations, created by a collaboration of esteemed German artists: Georg Wig, Carl Andreae, Schnorr von Carols, and Adrian Ludwig Richter Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, compact volume (measuring just 8⅞ x 6½ x ⅜ inches) reflects the mid-19th-century Romantic interest in faith, nature, and emotional spirituality, evoking joy through pious imagery. Crafted via wood engravings—a precise technique where fine lines are incised into wood blocks for high-quality reproductions suitable for mass printing—the book features tender scenes of the Madonna and Child surrounded by angels. Schnorr von Carolsfeld, a Nazarene movement leader known for his biblical illustrations, and Richter, a master of idyllic landscapes and religious vignettes, contributed their signature clarity and devotional warmth, making complex theology accessible to everyday believers. This work holds cultural significance as part of the era's surge in affordable illustrated religious texts, bridging art and liturgy to foster personal piety amid Germany's religious revivals. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1926, it invites visitors to appreciate how 19th-century printmaking democratized sacred beauty.

About the Artist

Georg Wigand|Carl Andreae|Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld|Adrian Ludwig Richter (German|German|German|German) · 1808 | |1794 |1803 –1858 | |1872 |1884

German, Göttingen 1808–1858|German|German, Leipzig 1794–1872 Dresden|German, Dresden 1803–1884 Dresden