Pareidolia landscape
Fine Arts
Inventory number
2022.2.1.6.FA.GR.C1845.DEAuthor:
Delius Brother (German, 19th century)Description
Drawing printed in a painted and gilded wooden frame entitled in German and Russian "Riddlesome landscape". It depicts a steep, bucolic landscape of medieval ruins with peasants and a covered wagon. A village can be seen on the horizon. A woman's hidden face can be discerned in the upside down image, highlighted by the irregularities of the landscape and the ruins of the castle. The print is framed by black lines.The fashion for hidden faces in graphic representations developed especially in the mannerist 16th century, as illustrated by the paintings of Giuseppe ARCIMBOLDO or the engravings of Wenzel HOLLAR.
This image reveals the massive spread of picture printing in the German states of the mid-19th century. It draws on the broad romantic nationalist imagination that developed in the course of the century, particularly during the revolutionary events of 1848. The German national imagery was exalted by natural and medieval themes, with an emphasis on the historical heroes of the Middle Ages.
Materials
Printed paperWooden frame
Glass
Origin
circa 1845 Berlin, GermanyDimensions
Length : 38.2 cmHeight : 33 cm