Siegfried: Act III, Evocation of Erda 1886

Henri Fantin-Latour created this lithograph titled, *Siegfried: Act III, Evocation of Erda*, in nineteenth-century France. Latour was captivated by the music of Richard Wagner, and his prints often re-imagine scenes from Wagner's operas. Here, the hero Siegfried implores the earth goddess Erda to awaken and share her wisdom. Wagner’s operas were themselves revolutionary, challenging operatic convention and exploring themes of heroism and Germanic identity. Latour’s visual interpretation of Siegfried, in turn, elevates Wagner to the status of high art, fitting Wagner into the cultural landscape of France. In this print, the artist uses the graphic qualities of lithography to convey the drama of Wagner’s opera for a wider audience. Art historians interested in images like this one consider not just the print itself, but also the cultural institutions – opera houses, museums, concert halls – that give artworks their meaning.