Der Nibelungen 1920

Franz von Stuck made this painting, Der Nibelungen, layering blood red and grey tones. It is an image of war, full of stark figures caught in a blaze of action. I imagine him building the forms in his studio, layering up color and scraping it away. I wonder if the intensity of that red inspired him. He must have been thinking of the history of painting and all the images of conflict and violence within it. It feels as though he wanted to capture that historical feeling, as well as show the physical struggle. I see a painter who is deeply in touch with his materials, playing with dark tones and gestural marks to evoke a very intense feeling. He must have been inspired by artists that came before, but also eager to contribute his own perspective to the ongoing conversation that painters have with one another. Painting, after all, is a form of exchange across time.