(Murnau 1829–1899 Munich)
Balthasar Mayr, the smith of Kochel, hurries to help Prince Max Emmanuel on Christmas Eve 1705, along with farmers from the Bavarian mountains, signed, dated and inscribed Ph. Sporrer München 1866, oil on canvas 86 x 72 cm, framed, (Rei)

Catalogued in:
Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, Hofheim am Taunus 1979, vol. II, 2, p. 791, no. 1.

This painting depicts a scene that draws on the legendary figure of the smith Balthasar Mayr leading a farmers’ revolt against Joseph I’s imperial troops on Christmas Eve 1705. Bavaria was occupied by Hapsburg troops as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. The figure of Balthasar Mayr, who cannot be historically verified, was, according to legend, a powerful, strong man who constructed a nail-studded club with which to attack the occupying forces. Legend has it that his heroic actions meant that Balthasar Mayr was the last man to die in the revolt.
The topic has been reflected in sculpture as well as theatre. One well-known representation was created by Franz von Defregger who depicted the “Storming of the Red Tower” (Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich) perpetrated by the smith in 1881.

Provenance:
Aachener Kunstauktion, Anton Creutzer, Aachen 27 April 1932, lot 107;
Private Collection, Germany.

Catalogued in:
Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, Hofheim am Taunus 1979, vol. II, 2, p. 791, no. 1.

This painting depicts a scene that draws on the legendary figure of the smith Balthasar Mayr leading a farmers’ revolt against Joseph I’s imperial troops on Christmas Eve 1705. Bavaria was occupied by Hapsburg troops as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. The figure of Balthasar Mayr, who cannot be historically verified, was, according to legend, a powerful, strong man who constructed a nail-studded club with which to attack the occupying forces. Legend has it that his heroic actions meant that Balthasar Mayr was the last man to die in the revolt.
The topic has been reflected in sculpture as well as theatre. One well-known representation was created by Franz von Defregger who depicted the “Storming of the Red Tower” (Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich) perpetrated by the smith in 1881.