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This altarpiece of Maulbertsch embellishes a Baroque side altar of the parish church in Tállya, a village of the Tokaj wine region. Its theme, while rather unusual, fits very well the region's character: it represents St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of viticulture. The Czech king, who rarely appears in Hungarian altarpieces, here looks devoutly to the sky, while stirring the juice of the grape in a large barrel. A bright angel, accompanied by a pilgrim, is pouring the freshly vintaged grape into the barrel, while in the foreground on the left other angels are busy, with the wine-press. The painting's atmosphere is animated and fable-like, the gestures and glances are extraordinarily expressive, and the contrasts of light and shadow emphasise the bright colours.
On the basis of its style, types and lighting, this masterpiece of Maulbertsch can be related to his paintings of the early 1760s, his most beautiful and vigorous works. We know nothing of the conditions of its execution, but since Prince Trautson was the landlord of Tállya and the patron of its church, we can assume that this Viennese aristocrat ordered the altarpiece from the famous master, as an appropriate piece of furnishing for the church of his remote estates.
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