Bürgermeister Waldmanns Abschied von seinen Mitgefangenen

The history painting by Johann Caspar Bosshardt was created in the 1840s and marks the beginning of his artistic career. The work, begun during his studies in Düsseldorf and later completed in Munich, depicts a dramatic scene from the life of Hans Waldmann (around 1435–1489), a formative political figure in late medieval Zurich. It was sponsored by the Zurich government and received special attention in a review by Gottfried Keller. Hans Waldmann, mayor of Zurich, was a controversial figure: criticised by his contemporaries as power-hungry and autocratic, he was reinterpreted as a progressive statesman by liberal thinkers such as Keller in the 19th century. The painting focuses on the moment before Waldmann was executed in 1489 following his deposition and imprisonment. In an emotional scene, he bids farewell to his fellow prisoners, vividly depicting the drama of the historical events and the ambivalence of his personality. Source