Caspar Johann Nepomuk Scheuren (1818-1887)

The Castle by the Sea

Düsseldorf, 1858

Watercolour over pen and pencil, partly heightened with white and gold

47.2 x 60.5 cm

This depiction of Ludwig Uhland’s poem of the same name creates an atmosphere of melancholy and nostalgia typical of Romantic art.

The king and queen, dressed in black in the middle frame, are shown mourning the loss of their daughter, who would serenade travelers to the Gothic castle with music. The tombs of all three characters, depicted in the right and left lower sections, prompt the viewer to consider the inevitability of death.

Acquired with the help of the National Art-Collections Fund, 2003 (No. 2003.5)

WORKS ON PAPER

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