Mittenwald 1886

Alfred Stieglitz captured this photograph of Mittenwald, a village nestled in the Bavarian Alps, using gelatin silver. Notice the figure painted on the façade of one of the houses. It echoes the ancient Roman tradition of Lares, the guardian deities of the household, often depicted on domestic altars and walls. These figures reappear across the ages, morphing into Christian saints watching over homes, a symbol of protection and continuity. This impulse to safeguard the home, family, and hearth through symbolic representation, has been preserved in the collective memory of mankind. How intriguing it is to see this impulse evolve. The Lares become saints, and the saints, in turn, may now become folkloric figures. It's a testament to how our deepest fears and hopes are endlessly refigured, resonating within us on a subconscious level and expressing themselves through images across time. This painted figure carries all these layers of meaning, engaging us viscerally in a powerful cultural narrative.