Kompositionsstudie zum Goldenen Zeitalter I 1879

This is a preliminary sketch made by Hans von Marées for his unrealized painting “The Golden Age I," now held in the Städel Museum. Here, the recurring motif of the "Golden Age" evokes an archaic harmony, a return to a mythic past. The image is dominated by figures in repose, embodying a serene existence, resonating with the classical ideals of Arcadia. The reclining figure, a pose we see echoed in countless depictions of gods and nymphs from antiquity, suggests a state of blissful idleness. Consider how the early Renaissance artists revived this motif, imbuing it with a longing for a lost paradise, a sentiment perhaps rooted in our collective subconscious. This yearning for an untainted past resurfaces repeatedly. The Golden Age is not simply a historical period, but an emotional state, an idealized vision of unity, peace, and innocence, continuously reimagined through art.