The Rhinemaidens and Alberich c. 1878

Hans Thoma created this drawing called ‘The Rhinemaidens and Alberich’ using brown ink, at a time when German artists were looking to their own national myths for inspiration. It illustrates a scene from Richard Wagner’s opera cycle, *Der Ring des Nibelungen*, based on characters from the medieval *Nibelungenlied*. We see Alberich, a dwarf, being taunted by the Rhinemaidens, mythical women who guard a hoard of gold in the Rhine. Angered by their rejection, Alberich curses love, steals the gold, and becomes a powerful tyrant. Thoma and Wagner were both part of a cultural movement that was fired by German nationalism. Their work was often interpreted as a critique of modern society, with its focus on materialism and industrialization. But it is up to us, as historians, to delve deeper into the social and institutional contexts that shaped such works. Looking at sources such as letters, diaries, and exhibition reviews will give us a greater understanding of their meaning and impact.