Kaiser Otto III im Grabgewölbe Karl’s des Großen 1863

Wilhelm von Kaulbach made this image, Kaiser Otto III im Grabgewölbe Karl’s des Großen, likely as an engraving, sometime in the 19th century. The stark monochrome exaggerates the drama of the scene, contrasting the still, tomb-like setting with the active figures surrounding the enthroned, skeletal remains of Charlemagne. Notice how Kaulbach uses a deep, linear perspective to draw the viewer's eye through the cavernous space, emphasizing the encounter with Charlemagne's cadaver. The artist juxtaposes reactions to the scene: Otto’s calm inspection versus the visceral horror of his entourage. This opposition reflects a structural binary, between reason and emotion, and also perhaps between the present and the past. Kaulbach’s formal choices are not merely aesthetic. The rigid lines and stark contrasts create a visual tension that mirrors the complex historical narratives at play. The image invites us to question how the past shapes the present and how power is both constructed and perceived through visual representation.