The Nibelungen's End - The Death of Kriemhild 1845

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld made this drawing, “The Nibelungen's End - The Death of Kriemhild,” in 1862, using pen and brown ink over graphite on paper. The effect is all about line and tone, built through careful labor. You can almost feel the artist’s hand at work, meticulously hatching to build up the figures and dramatic scene. The use of pen and ink, combined with graphite underdrawing, suggests a study or preparatory drawing. Consider the narrative von Carolsfeld chose to depict: a violent, chaotic scene of death and betrayal from Germanic mythology. There’s a clear commitment to craft here, in the traditional sense of draftsmanship. Yet, it’s all deployed in the service of a very specific, and highly charged, cultural agenda, celebrating the drama of German myth. Ultimately, this drawing reminds us that even the most traditional artistic materials and processes can be deeply intertwined with the social and political contexts in which they're made.