Miriam

Miriam of 1862, in the Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, depicts the Old Testament prophetess and sister of Moses, who led the Israelites in song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea. Feuerbach chooses the moment of quiet aftermath or meditation rather than the exultant dance described in Exodus 15, rendering Miriam as a solitary figure in a meditative posture that aligns her with the contemplative, inward-looking female types he consistently favored. The Old Testament subject was unusual for Feuerbach, who typically preferred Greek mythology and Dante, but the figure's psychological register — isolated, poised between action and reflection — suited his sensibility perfectly. The Alte Nationalgalerie's collection, which includes many of the canonical works of German Romanticism and Idealism, places Miriam within the appropriate context of German classicizing figure painting.

The canvas demonstrates Feuerbach's control of warm, Venetian-influenced coloring: Miriam's drapery is arranged to maximize tonal variety within a narrow palette, and the warm light on her face and hands contrasts with the cooler shadows of her garments. The handling is smooth and studied, consistent with his Roman period technique.