Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure 1910

Arthur Rackham created this image of Alberich driving a band of Niblungs in pen, ink and watercolor. Rackham's illustration offers a glimpse into the dark heart of power and exploitation. Made in Britain, at the height of its imperial power, the image presents a brutal scene of forced labor. Alberich, the tyrannical dwarf, lashes his Niblungs, forcing them to carry a heavy load of gold and silver. The scene can be read as a sharp commentary on the social structures of Rackham's time. Was he critiquing the exploitation of the working class or perhaps the imperial exploitation of colonized peoples? The visual codes of the grotesque, combined with the cultural references to Germanic mythology, create a potent message about the abuse of power. Understanding this artwork demands that we research the social and institutional context in which Rackham was working. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and historical context.