The Museum Biberach in Germany celebrated a significant acquisition just before year's end, finally purchasing a valuable Baroque painting that has been displayed in its galleries since 1999. The oil painting "Wedding at Cana" by Johann Heinrich Schönfeld, a native son of Biberach who lived from 1609 to 1684, became a permanent part of the museum's collection through the concerted effort of the Museum Biberach Support Association and substantial private donations. The purchase price was 60,000 euros, a sum that secured this cultural treasure for the city where the artist was born.
The painting's journey to Biberach was unconventional and heartfelt. Museum director Frank Brunecker and deputy director Uwe Degreif discovered the work at a Munich collector's home and persuaded the owner to loan it to Schönfeld's birthplace. "We wrapped it in blankets, folded down the back seat of Uwe Degreif's VW Golf, and transported it from Munich to Biberach that way," Brunecker recalled. Once in Biberach, the painting was cleaned, reframed, and installed as the centerpiece of the museum's 17th-19th century art collection, where it has served as a magnificent entrance piece alongside Johann Melchior Dinglinger's jewel-encrusted flower basket since 2002.
The painting's status as a permanent fixture came under threat this past summer when the lending family from Munich notified the museum of their intention to sell. A prestigious offer had already arrived from the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna, prompting urgent action from museum leadership. "We naturally wanted to keep the painting here," Brunecker stated. "We could not have replaced it with an equivalent work in such a prominent position in our exhibition. That would have been a terrible loss." With backing from the Support Association, the museum successfully made a counteroffer that the Steinle family—Christine Steinle, widow of the collector, and her sons Philipp and Simon—accepted, as they too desired the painting remain in Biberach.
"Wedding at Cana" depicts the biblical miracle where Jesus transforms water into wine, a representative large-format work typical of Schönfeld's Baroque mastery. Interestingly, this painting exists in two versions, with the more famous one hanging in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Biberach version had remained largely unknown in art historical literature until recently. Museum officials had once considered borrowing the Hermitage painting for a side-by-side comparison, a process known as "Händescheidung" that would determine the attribution and extent of the master's hand in each work, but costs prevented the collaboration.
The attribution analysis of the Biberach painting reveals the collaborative workshop practices of the 17th century. "We assume that Schönfeld worked on this piece," explained Degreif, pointing to areas where light is brightest and viewer attention first falls—the fine rendering of brocade fabrics and foods in the foreground. Other sections, such as the rather sack-like curtain in the center, were likely painted by journeymen and assistants from Schönfeld's Augsburg workshop. "No master completely painted a large-format altarpiece himself. Workshops were always involved—that was normal practice," Degreif noted, emphasizing that this division of labor doesn't diminish the work's value or authenticity.
The acquisition represents a victory for regional cultural preservation. Mayor Norbert Zeidler expressed gratitude to the Support Association and the city official responsible for culture, Verena Fürgut, for their dedication. "We are delighted that this treasure may remain in Biberach," Zeidler remarked during a ceremony attended by the Steinle family. For the museum, securing the Schönfeld painting ensures continuity in its Baroque collection and honors the legacy of Biberach's most significant painter. The work will continue to greet visitors on the first floor, serving as both an artistic masterpiece and a symbol of community commitment to protecting local heritage.
