Italiaans leren 1889

Adolph Menzel created this drawing, Italiaans leren, using etching techniques. Observe how Menzel captures a scene seemingly casual, yet rich in symbolic undertones. The motif of sharing food and drink connects to rituals found across cultures and eras, from the symposia of ancient Greece to the Last Supper. The act of pouring wine, performed by the woman, symbolizes hospitality and abundance but also hints at intoxication, the loss of control. Compare this gesture with depictions of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, where the pouring of wine is central to the orgiastic rites. Notice how the man peeling nuts, might represent the peeling away of pretense or the extraction of something essential. This is an ancient symbol, found on Roman sarcophagi, where nuts symbolize hidden potential and latent knowledge. Such a seemingly simple act resonates with hidden cultural memory. It is as if Menzel taps into a collective unconscious, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level with recognizable universal motifs that keep shifting in meaning.