Artwork
Parsifal, Act II: Evocation of Kundry
Parsifal, Act II: Evocation of Kundry is a print by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Parsifal, Act II: Evocation of Kundry is a late 19th-century print by French artist Henri Fantin-Latour, inspired by Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal. Created around 1886, it is part of a series of Wagner-themed works by the artist.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures a pivotal moment from Parsifal, Act II, where Kundry’s spirit is evoked. The depiction focuses on a figure lying down, clutching an object, conveying a sense of intense, possibly spiritual, engagement.
Technique & Style
Executed with loose, dark lines and lighter shading, the work features quick, sketchy strokes that imply movement and texture. This approach is characteristic of preparatory studies, suggesting an emphasis on capturing the ephemeral.
History & Provenance
The print is part of The Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Its creation in the 1880s reflects Fantin-Latour’s period interest in musical and theatrical subjects, alongside his more renowned still lifes and portraits of Parisian intellectuals.
Context
While Fantin-Latour’s style in this work shares some expressive qualities with Impressionist practices (e.g., emphasis on light and capturing movement), it is more closely aligned with the artist’s own blend of realism and the expressive qualities of lithography.
Legacy
As part of Fantin-Latour’s Wagner series, Parsifal, Act II: Evocation of Kundry contributes to the broader intersection of 19th-century French art and European musical innovation, reflecting the cross-disciplinary inspirations of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
