Schloss Sachsenfeld c. 19th century

Editor: This is Johann Philipp Wilhelm Lenz's "Schloss Sachsenfeld," currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It reminds me of a fairytale illustration. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Notice how the castle, though central, is distanced, almost a memory. Consider the turbulent sky, the gnarled trees—nature isn't just backdrop here. It's imbued with romantic longing, reflecting the human psyche. Editor: So, the landscape isn't just a landscape. It represents something deeper? Curator: Precisely. Lenz uses these established symbols to tap into a cultural reservoir of feeling, connecting the viewer to generations who saw similar meaning in these images. What does it evoke for you, personally? Editor: It makes me think about how we project our feelings onto the world around us. Thanks, I learned a lot about symbols!