And Loreley, She Sings No More, 2004
India ink on cardboard
Sheet dimensions29,7 × 21 cm
About the workEven in ancient times, people across diverse cultures have believed that hair is the seat of vitality and the soul. This highly symbolic role is reflected in numerous proverbs, legends and fairy tales about hair. Rissa, who studied and taught at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, pays tribute to the significance of an attractive head of hair in her ink drawings. The allure of a flowing mane of hair is visualised in Rissa's depiction of the Loreley and the symbolism associated with it. The poems and legends surrounding the Loreley rock were shaped by the mystical figure whose beauty and song drove Rhine boatmen to peril in the dangerous currents. Heinrich Heine also wrote of the "most beautiful maiden" sitting on the rock, tending to her golden hair with a "golden comb".
AccessionKemp Collection Foundation 2011
ProvenanceOktober 2004 Willi Kemp (Köln 1927 – 2020 Düsseldorf) erworben von der Künstlerin; 2011 Stiftung Sammlung Kemp im Kunstpalast erworben durch Schenkung Willi Kemp
Inventory numberKemp 635
