Szene Aus Wagners Ring 1913

Hermann Hendrich painted this scene from Wagner’s Ring using thick layers of oil paint, building up a surface that glows with fiery intensity. I can almost feel the heat radiating from the canvas. Hendrich laid down these strokes, one after the other. I wonder what it was like for him, working and reworking this surface, trying to capture the drama and emotion of Wagner’s opera. It’s not just about illustrating a story, is it? The sweeping brushstrokes behind the figure are a sort of raw energy, like trying to capture the sound of the music in pure color and texture. The red cloak and determined stance of the figure seem to stand in stark contrast to the person lying in the foreground, which is painted with such tenderness. Painters are always in conversation with each other, riffing on themes and techniques across time. I see echoes of other artists wrestling with similar themes of love, death, and transformation. Painting, for me, is a way of embracing uncertainty. There is no single story here. Just a space for feeling.