NYMPH GRAMMOPHONE (from the Lohengrin Cycle) 1978

This is Ernst Fuchs’ ‘Nymph Grammophone’ - a dreamy vision of reclining figures in a scarlet interior. I imagine Fuchs building up this image in layers, lost in a world of Wagnerian mythology and symbolist fantasies, pushing the boundaries of representation. The nymph's blue-toned skin contrasts with the warm reds of the furniture, and the way she lounges there is a pose of impossible elegance. The artist’s brush seems to smooth out the form as if it were a sculpture or a dream. It reminds me a little of Klimt's luxurious surfaces, but with a touch of the surreal. I wonder if he listened to operas while he painted this? The painting is so evocative it almost seems to hum. Ultimately, painting is about this kind of exchange across time, where one artist’s work sparks something new in another, creating a beautiful, ever-evolving conversation.