Berglandschap met kroon en treurende vrouw 1902

Editor: This is Emil Orlik’s woodcut, “Mountain Landscape with Crown and Mourning Woman” from 1902, accompanying a playbill for Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt”. It’s really stark. The stark landscape paired with a list of characters creates a dramatic, even unsettling feeling. What symbols and narratives do you find most potent here? Curator: The recurring theme of journey and isolation resonates. The mountain peak in the upper image serves as an emblem of ambition or spiritual aspiration. Then we find this figure crouched beneath, seemingly grieving – weighed down by a crown-like object. Editor: Is it meant to suggest a fallen ruler? The woman looks so alone under those skeletal trees. Curator: Perhaps. The “crown” may represent unrealized ambitions or a heavy burden of expectations. Look at how the list of characters emphasizes names of theatrical performers more than play characters; maybe Orlik wants to foreground artifice. It might even relate to Peer Gynt's journey toward understanding his identity. Doesn't that make you think of psychological concepts of self? Editor: I see what you mean. The landscape isn't just a backdrop but a reflection of inner turmoil, even for the viewer, drawing us into a psychological space of both yearning and desolation. What is left but memories, if all fails? Curator: Indeed, the persistence of these archetypal landscapes across centuries highlights our enduring need to visually process complex human emotions, I think. This juxtaposition reveals a rich interplay between the personal and the universal. Editor: Thank you for this explanation. The symbolic weight of this piece feels much heavier now!