Moritz von Schwind
The Legend of the Bishop and the Devil, um 1854
Öl auf Holz, 78,5 x 44,7 cm
1869 durch Adolf Friedrich Graf von Schack erworben
Inv. Nr. 11568
The Legend of the Bishop and the Devil
A medieval legend tells how the devil helped St Wolfgang to build a chapel next to his mountain hermitage. In exchange the devil demanded the soul of the first living being who entered the building after its completion. The bishop outwitted his adversary by sending a wolf into the chapel. Schwind interpreted the legend in his own way, as proof that the blows of fate can be averted through vigour and intelligence.