Virgin with Child, St Benedict, St Peter and St Paul (Sketch for the high altar of St. Peter’s, Salzburg)

His oeuvre includes Christian subjects, genre paintings and scenes from mythology, as well as numerous drawings and engravings.
The bozzetto for the high altar in St. Peter’s is divided into three zones. Bottom centre is St. Benedict, an angel at his feet holding out a poisoned chalice – the attribute of the founder of the oldest western monastic order, who survived an attempt at assassination. St. Peter sits on the left with book, key and sword, and to the right St. Paul kneels, arms raised heavenwards in adoration of the Virgin and Child. On the steps beside the Apostle are his symbols: sword and open book. Thus Benedict is flanked by the founders of the first Christian Roman community. The papal crown in the centre denotes the entire Catholic world. The Virgin and Child hover on clouds in the middle zone, surrounded by the Archangel Michael and angels bearing symbols of the Virgin. The baroque structure is rounded off with angels lowering the circlet of stars on to the Virgin’s head and bearing the crown of heaven.

DUCKE Astrid: Schmidt Martin Johann, Virgin with Child, Saint Benedict, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, p. 110