Art & Prose. Who Stole the Rhinegold?
"The Ring of the Nibelung" in the paintings of Marina Podgaevskaya
Marina Podgaevskaya. Alberich
Marina Podgaevskaya and I didn’t manage to complete one of the paintings: the depiction of the Nibelung Alberich—the very dwarf who stole the Rhinegold and forged the cursed Ring.
While composing The Ring of the Nibelung tetralogy, Richard Wagner pondered deeply: how could this dwarf, this gnome, have endowed the Ring with power over the world? The answer was found: by renouncing love. And so, only a great love could ultimately save the world and break the Ring’s curse.
I still have Marina’s sketch of Alberich, which I’m pleased to share with you as a bonus.
As I conclude the second season of the Art & Prose project, I want to thank Marina Podgaevskaya and her daughter Kristina Simonenkova, who assisted Marina in her work on the paintings. I also thank art historian Inna Udovichenko for her invaluable creative contribution to developing the concept behind these works.
You can find the links to earlier scences in this publication:
Art & Prose, Season II Announcement
See you in the next season of Art & Prose!
Viacheslav