Shelley: Poem 1980

Editor: So, this drawing, "Shelley: Poem," made in 1980 by Rudolf Láng... It’s like a half-remembered dream, rendered in graphite. There's a figure walking through a blurry landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, I love that "half-remembered dream" take! For me, it feels like walking into a poem – a slightly melancholic one. I see the influence of Romanticism, this fascination with nature, with a capital "N," nature as a reflection of the soul, almost a character in the narrative. See how the trees aren’t just trees, they're these gnarly, reaching figures. And Shelley, bless his cotton socks, would have loved this kind of representation of the wild spirit! What resonates most for you, looking at it? Editor: The figure seems so small, almost swallowed by the landscape, but still present somehow. It brings up the theme of nature versus the human self... How can we tell a story within our existence? Curator: Absolutely! This little figure against the looming backdrop highlights the relationship that we have between vulnerability and immensity. Think of those Romantic painters, like Caspar David Friedrich, placing tiny figures in grand landscapes. It’s a statement on the human condition. Editor: It definitely adds more to the interpretation thinking about it this way! Thanks. Curator: My pleasure! It's wonderful how art can trigger memories, isn't it?