The title of this important early work by German artist Anselm Kiefer is a pun on The Song of the Nibelungen, an epic poem from the 13th century whose plot revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule. The Sorrow of the Nibelungen (Der Nibelungen Leid) is one of the “attic paintings,” a series of works that Kiefer painted in 1973 in his attic studio in Odenwald at the edge of the Black Forest. The painting depicts a wooden room with heavily grained bare floorboards and rafters, much like the artist’s studio.
The 13th century German epic poem, The Song of the Nibelungen, tells the story of the Burgundian ruling family. German composer Richard Wagner, one of Kiefer’s heroes, retold the story of the Nibelungen in his operas Der Ring des Nibelungen, a series often referred to as the Ring Cycle. During World War II, Adolf Hitler used the Nibelungen Lied—along with Wagner’s music—as propaganda.
Kiefer’s work frequently addresses the issue of coming to terms with Germany’s Nazi past. In this painting, he has recorded the names of the fallen rulers of the Nibelungen next to their own pools of blood—transforming the popular legend into an elegy for the dead. The naming of the victims makes their plight more real and more personal, memorializing their deaths and the deaths of all those who have been killed unjustly. The swirling lines of the wood grain and the dramatic illusion of deep space create an animated stage on which a violent drama has just come to an end, the visceral remnants and the pain of its effects still fresh.
With its allusions to the Nibelungen and to Nazi horrors, the painting conflates the glory of Germany’s mythic past with the tragedy of its more recent history. Kiefer also created a searing pun in his title: by substituting “Leid” for “Lied,” The Song of the Nibelungen becomes The Sorrow of the Nibelungen.
In one sense, Kiefer works in the grand tradition of history painters. This painting is rendered on a monumental scale that emphasizes the importance of its subject matter. The realistic and detailed representation of the enormous room creates a sense of awe and reverence, while also reinforcing the actuality of events. Kiefer is well known for his innovative techniques and unusual materials. Here, he puts a contemporary twist on the history genre by scrawling names on the canvas, applying paint freely, and employing unusual media. Kiefer chose burlap rather than canvas and added charcoal drawing over the oil painting. The charcoal lines create an effect similar to that of woodblock printing. However, the rough texture of this painting is more immediate than the smooth surface of a print. These unconventional materials and technique reinforce the painting’s emotional power.
