Käthchen of Heilbronn, 1826
ArtistMoritz von Schwind,
Wien
1804–1871
Niederpöcking
Oil on canvas
Dimensions without frame85 × 65,5 × 2 cm
Dimensions with frame96,3 × 76,7 × 7,5 cm
Status
not on displayMoritz von Schwind, a Viennese painter, frequently drew on motifs from fairy tales and legends. This painting is inspired by Heinrich von Kleist’s drama „Käthchen of Heilbronn" (1810). Through a series of dreamlike episodes, a fateful love unfolds between a noble knight and a virtuous young woman – who ultimately proves to be a princess. Beneath the depicted elder tree, this scene foreshadows the story’s happy ending: in her sleep, Käthchen speaks of her past, enabling the knight to recognise her true identity. The two lovers are thus finally united.
AccessionAcquisition 1914
Provenance[...]; 1914 angekauft auf der Versteigerung der Sammlung A. O. Meyer von C. G. Boerner, LeipzigInventory numberM 4149
Contact
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