Alexander Rothaug (Vienna 1870-1946 Vienna)
Salomé
circa 1910
pen in black and watercolor, heightened with opaque white and collaged, on strong vellum paper
22 x 25,5 cm
verso some pencil sketches by the artist, including horse and rider scenes, the upper body of a devil and a miniature version of the composition recto
verso in pencil with color instructions and inscribed "pto."
The Daulton Collection
Provenance:
ex coll. artist Ernst Fuchs (Austrian, 1930-1915)
Discussion:
"The motif of Salomé fascinated the Symbolists particularly because of its connection between cruelty and Eros. Oscar Wilde's one-act play was published in 1891, Franz von Stuck's painting in 1906. In Rothaug's work, the naked Salomé, adorned with gold and only partially covering her nakedness with a red scarf, dances lasciviously directly in front of the head of John the Baptist, which is already lying on the ground and which the servant crouching in front of her has just offered to her. Both the servant and the plate with the golden shining head, as well as the spectators above behind the balustrade and some parts of the foreground have been inserted into the composition by the artist in a collage-like manner. The ornamental band with a gold-yellow background in the outer edge increases the unity of the drawing and, despite the cruelty of the scenery, enhances its decorative character." B
