Overview
The son of a prestigious and pious Protestant family of diplomats and theologians, Overbeck was born in Lübeck, Germany in 1789. Overbeck received a classical education, which included private painting lessons beginning at age 15. His comprehensive instruction in the neoclassical tradition began at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1806 under the direction of the renowned painter, Heindrich Füger, pupil of Jacques-Louis David. However, Overbeck felt that the mechanical teaching routine of the academy lacked heart and soul and desired a return to the more intimate teaching model of the medieval workshop.
In 1809, Overbeck, alongside Franz Pforr, established the Brotherhood of St. Luke, an artistic fraternity dedicated to practicing art as a permanent striving for truth. The irreconcilable divergence of his group from the prevailing practice at the academy eventually led to Overbeck’s expulsion.
Feeling that the influence of Christian art had dried up in Vienna, Overbeck sought a fresh source. In 1810, he embarked on a journey to Rome with three friends from the Academy. They took up residence in the abandoned Sant’Isidoro monastery, transforming it into a space for artistic exploration and spiritual growth. Together, they earned the moniker “Nazarenes” due to their Christ-like appearance and unwavering commitment to, Overbeck believed, save art from the depths of worldly corruption.
In 1813, Overbeck forsook his Protestant roots and embraced Catholicism. From this moment his art became a medium to express his personal spiritual awakening. Overbeck drew inspiration from the Italian Renaissance masters, especially young Raphael. His aim was to reconstruct iconographic motifs, revive the painting of monumental frescoes, and re-enchant the culture-at-large with a religious sensibility. The Nazarenes’ dedication to this mission materialized in 1816, when Overbeck and his German colleagues were entrusted with the Casa Bartholdy and soon after the Casino Massimo frescoes, which launched them into the international spotlight.
By 1829, all the original members of the Brotherhood had returned to Germany. Remaining steadfastly in Rome despite numerous offers from Germany, Overbeck’s focus began to tighten around his personal expression of Roman Catholic dogma. At this time, he completed The Rose Miracle of St Francis for the Portiuncula Chapel in Assisi, which remains one of his best-known paintings. He exerted considerable influence with the Purismo Religioso movement who transferred his teachings into the medium of sculpture. Soon the artist became a personal favorite of Pope Pius IX, who commissioned him to design and decorate his residence, the Palazzo del Quirinale. As his desire to reform ecclesiastical painting grew, his works were increasingly accompanied by textual commentary and exegesis. His monumental “Seven Sacraments” project completed in 1862 after 10 years of labor, represents his attempt to restore the pedagogic capacity of images to reveal truth.
In 1864, Overbeck was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He died in Rome in 1869 at the age of 80 and was interred in the Chapel of St Francis in the Church of San Bernando in the heart of the Italian capital where he worshipped. Overbeck’s unrivaled life-long vision for and commitment to the revitalization of art through medieval aesthetics and pedagogy earns him the rightful title as patriarch of the Nazarene movement. His life’s work can be summed up in his own words; “Art to me is as the harp of David, whereupon I would desire that psalms should at all times be sounded to praise of the Lord.”