Artwork
Grimmige Tiere und wilde Männer bedrohen das Menschenkind
Grimmige Tiere und wilde Männer bedrohen das Menschenkind is an oil painting by Ernst Georg Rüegg. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Ernst Georg Rüegg’s 1918 oil on canvas, titled *Grimmige Tiere und wilde Männer bedrohen das Menschenkind*, is part of the permanent collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. The work presents a forest scene populated by several human figures and animals, arranged along a winding path beneath a canopy of trees.
Subject & Meaning
At the composition’s centre stands a nude woman, surrounded by clothed or partially clothed figures and a group of animals that includes dogs and a horse. The title suggests a narrative of hostile beasts and untamed men confronting a vulnerable child, though the precise symbolism remains ambiguous, inviting contemplation of danger and innocence within a natural setting.
Technique & Style
Rüegg employs a muted palette that lends the scene a subdued, somber atmosphere. Visible brushwork creates a textured surface, emphasizing the foliage and the forms of the figures. The handling of light is restrained, allowing the tonal variations to define depth rather than bright contrasts.
History & Provenance
Completed in the final year of World War I, the painting entered the Kunsthaus Zürich’s collection, where it remains on display. Its acquisition date is not publicly recorded, but the work has been referenced in catalogues of Swiss early‑20th‑century painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
