The Sorceress of the Yakuts in North East Asia n.d.

Ernst Damitz created this watercolor and graphite artwork, *The Sorceress of the Yakuts in North East Asia*, now at the Art Institute of Chicago. The composition is dominated by a stark contrast between the shadowy, textured rock formations on the left and the serene, open landscape on the right, bisected by a calm body of water. The use of light is particularly striking. A full moon casts a soft glow on the puffy clouds, creating an ethereal quality. The figures are framed within a dark recess, drawing the viewer's eye to the human element against the backdrop of nature. Damitz's piece can be viewed through a structuralist lens. The visual contrast might symbolize opposing forces like the known and unknown, civilization and the natural world. This work destabilizes the then-established Romantic ideals, offering a vision of a world where the sublime is intertwined with the mundane. It invites ongoing interpretation, reflecting our shifting relationship with nature.