New Acquisition Alert: Sigfried Sees Himself in the Stream by Arthur Rackham

Announcing the acquisition of Sigfried Sees Himself in the Stream, a rare and unique original watercolor, pen and ink illustration by British illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). This is one of thirty full color illustrations created by Rackham for the 1911 first edition of Richard Wagner’s Sigfried and The Twilight of the Gods. This publication, in illustrated verse form, presents the final two operas of Wagner's four-opera cycle, collectively called Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The Ring, which was first performed in 1876, comprises four full-length operas — The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and The Twilight of the Gods, and is regarded as one of the greatest musical and dramatic masterpieces of all time. Inspired from Nordic mythology, The Ring charts the history of the world from beginning to end. It is an epic story of Gods, dwarves and humans battling to fulfil their respective destinies, in which evil lusts for power and wealth are ultimately redeemed through human joy.

Arthur Rackham is credited with renewing interest in book illustration at a vital moment of advances in printing technology. The subtle colors and thin lines were unlike anything that had come before, breathing new life into book illustration. Part of Rackham's genius was his ability to convey both menace in his grotesque, humanoid trees and trolls, as well as delicate and ethereal beauty in his fairies, princesses and heroines. The thirty illustrations for Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods, widely considered Rackham's most impressive work, are breathtaking in presenting the passions of The Ring and its many characters – the beauty of Brünnhilde, the venomous evil of the dragon Fafner, the cunning of the dwarves, the ecstasy of love found and the subsequent despair of love betrayed and lost.

This illustration and a copy of the book for which it was made can be viewed in the MAACM Library, along with other select illustrations and their original books.

MAACM’s Library is open to Museum Guests every Wednesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm. Join a MAACM docent to learn more about the art and period furniture, library collection, and illustrations on display.