Artwork
The Golden Age I
The Golden Age I is a chalk drawing by the Impressionist artist Hans von Marées. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *The Golden Age I* is a red‑chalk drawing on wove paper executed in 1879 by the German artist Hans von Marées. It belongs to the later stage of his career, a period marked by extensive stays in Italy and an increasing preoccupation with classical mythology.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents four figures arranged in a loosely rendered tableau. Two women stand with their backs partially turned toward the viewer, while a kneeling man holds a small object before them. A second man leans forward, his hand resting on the kneeler’s shoulder, suggesting an intimate, perhaps ritual, interaction among the participants.
Technique & Style
Von Marées employed only red chalk, allowing the drawing to convey a warm, muted tonal quality. The marks are swift and gestural, emphasizing contour and gesture over detail. This sketch‑like approach renders the figures as provisional studies, capturing the essential pose and relationship rather than a polished finish.
History & Provenance
Created during von Marées’s Italian sojourn, the drawing reflects his broader investigation of antiquity and mythological subjects that characterized his output in the 1880s. It remains part of the artist’s corpus of classical-themed works, illustrating his transition from portraiture to narrative, historically inspired imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans von Marées (24 December 1837 – 5 June 1887) was a German painter. Initially specialising in portraiture he later turned to mythological subjects. He spent the last years of his life in Italy.
The Pietà (recto)
The Genius of the Sculptor
Three Groups of Figures![Study of a Mother and Child [verso], by David, Sir Wilkie](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/david-sir-wilkie--study-of-a-mother-and-child-verso--91f999f529326586-w320.webp)
Study of a Mother and Child [verso]
Sheet of Studies, including a Man Battling a Centaur![Sheet of Studies, including Warrior with Child [recto and verso], by John Flaxman](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-flaxman--sheet-of-studies-including-warrior-with-child-recto-and-vers--5c5dd1ec083169b5-w320.webp)
Sheet of Studies, including Warrior with Child [recto and verso]
The Prodigal Son
Figures from the Farnese Palace and from Life
The Healing of Tobit (verso)
The Descent from the Cross (recto)