Martina Stoib Presents the Donor Portrait of the Mayr Innkeeper Family in Aschau
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A Baroque Painting Tells the History of the Aschau Village
On Friday, November 6, 2026, the Aschau Heritage and History Association invites you to a cultural-historical lecture on the donor portrait of the Mayr innkeeper family. Martina Stoib will present the exceptional artwork and the results of her current research work. The evening connects regional history, Baroque art, and the moving family history of a significant Aschau painting.
An Unusual Artwork on Copper
The oil painting, created around 1702, depicts the Mayr innkeeper family before a grace altar based on the model of the Munich Duke's Hospital Church. Measuring approximately 160 by 55 centimeters, the large-format copper panel is among the remarkable image carriers of its time. The painter is believed to be Jakob Carnutsch from Prien.
The use of copper gives the work a special art-historical quality. While copper is often found in small votive panels or as a printing plate, a painting of this format on a copper panel is extremely rare. Clothing, rosaries, coats of arms, and individual facial features provide a detailed view of the family's social rank and religious worldview.
Family Portrait and Testimony of a Hard Time
The narrative power of the donor portrait lies in its connection of representation and personal remembrance. Nine family members kneel before the altar; in the foreground, 18 wrapped children marked by crosses remind us of the high child mortality rate of the early 18th century. The painting thus preserves not only a devout foundation story but also the existential experiences of a past society.
The painting was expanded in several phases. After 1707 and between 1753 and 1755, additional family members were added. Particularly, Maria Anna Mayr, heiress of the innkeeper and founder of the neighboring cross chapel, shaped the later form of the artwork. Thus, from a donor portrait, it also became a unique document of the family, social, and church history of Aschau.
Restoration Brings Hidden Details Back
After an elaborate restoration by the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments and the Main Department of Art of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, the painting has been on view again since June 2026 at the Aschau parish church of the Lord's Presentation. Dirt, chippings, scratches, and loose paint layers had long concealed numerous details.
The restoration made color effects, costume-historical details, and the precise characterization of the depicted individuals visible again. Martina Stoib contextualizes these findings in her lecture within the Baroque village history and the development of the Mayr innkeeper family. The evening thus offers an informed author encounter with regional research and an impactful literary experience of a special kind: history becomes tangible not abstractly, but through a concrete image, its figures, and their fates.
An Evening for Art and History Enthusiasts
The reading and lecture atmosphere in the Catholic parish hall creates space for concentrated contemplation, historical contextualization, and cultural discourse about memory, faith, and regional identity. The lecture is aimed at everyone interested in Baroque art, local history, monument preservation, and the stories behind historical artworks.
Visitors can expect an informative and touching evening about a restored art monument that makes Aschau's past speak directly. Admission is free. Doors open at 5:30 PM, and refreshments will be available.
Conclusion: Experience Baroque Village History Live
The donor portrait of the Mayr innkeeper family combines art-historical rarity with human closeness and regional remembrance. Those wishing to discover the history of the Chiemgau from a new perspective will experience an evening full of insights, image details, and historical depth at Martina Stoib's lecture. The Aschau Heritage and History Association invites you to experience this special chapter of village history live.
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