Not currently on display at the V&A

Gotterdammerung

Drawing
1913 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Original artwork by Fortunino Matania (1881-1963) for publication in The Sphere illustrated periodical on 31 May 1913. Drawn and painted in shades of black and white for transfer to a plate for printing. The illustration depicts the final scene in Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Three cycles of Der Ring des Nibelungen under the musical direction of Arthur Nikisch were presented at the Royal Opera House at the start of the 1913 Spring-Summer Opera season with Götterdämmerung being presented on 28 April, 6 and 14 May. Fortunino Matania produced a series of illustrations of the Ring Cycle for the periodical, The Sphere, of which this was the fourth. On 3rd May 1913 The Sphere had reproduced his illustration of the Rhinemaidens from Rhinegold, on 10 May the Valkyrie from Der Walküre and on 17 May a scene from Siegfried, showing Siegfried awakening Brünhilde in the final scene but looking from the stage to the auditorium. In this fourth illustration Matania shows the relationship between the stage with its prompter’s box and the orchestra in the pit conducted by Arthur Nikisch and includes a glimpse of the auditorium close to the proscenium arch.

The published reproduction can be found in the V&A Harry Beard Print Collection S.4868-2009 .


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Gotterdammerung (generic title)
  • Der Ring des Nibelungen (generic title)
  • The Ring Cycle (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, ink and watercolour on board
Brief description
Original artwork by Fortunio Matania showing the final scene in Götterdämmerung, part IV of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, as performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London1913
Physical description
Original artwork by Fortunino Matania (1881-1963) for publication in The Sphere illustrated newspaper in May 1913. Drawn and painted in shades of black and white showing the final scene in Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung at Covent Garden, London. The scene depicts the character Wotan on his throne and disappearing into the flames. The orchestra and audience can be seen in the foreground facing the stage.
Dimensions
  • Height: 39.3cm (approx.)
  • Width: 53.9cm (approx.)
Summary
Original artwork by Fortunino Matania (1881-1963) for publication in The Sphere illustrated periodical on 31 May 1913. Drawn and painted in shades of black and white for transfer to a plate for printing. The illustration depicts the final scene in Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Three cycles of Der Ring des Nibelungen under the musical direction of Arthur Nikisch were presented at the Royal Opera House at the start of the 1913 Spring-Summer Opera season with Götterdämmerung being presented on 28 April, 6 and 14 May. Fortunino Matania produced a series of illustrations of the Ring Cycle for the periodical, The Sphere, of which this was the fourth. On 3rd May 1913 The Sphere had reproduced his illustration of the Rhinemaidens from Rhinegold, on 10 May the Valkyrie from Der Walküre and on 17 May a scene from Siegfried, showing Siegfried awakening Brünhilde in the final scene but looking from the stage to the auditorium. In this fourth illustration Matania shows the relationship between the stage with its prompter’s box and the orchestra in the pit conducted by Arthur Nikisch and includes a glimpse of the auditorium close to the proscenium arch.

The published reproduction can be found in the V&A Harry Beard Print Collection S.4868-2009 .
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.813-2019

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Record createdJanuary 9, 2015
Record URL
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