Rackham's Color Illustrations for Wagner's "Ring"

Most of Rackham's fairytale drawings have a quiet intensity, due to his somber palettes and twisting lines, but none so intense as his interpretations of Wagner's Ring trilogy. His style perfectly conveys the Nordic and Germanic themes of the story and gives the cast of characters a quite fitting loft heroic style that is reminiscent of the Operatic stage and the mythic sagas. Most wonderfully represented, in my opinion, are the mysterious Rhinemaidens, whose task it is to safeguard the Rhinegold. They have an eerily etheric quality that really only Rackham could produce, as few could have balanced the lightness of water sprites so carefully with the harsher (and thematically darker) tones of the Rhine. Also quite stunning - though show more admittedly grotesque - are the Nibelung. The gnarled little men are truely frightening to behold, and I am sure that they were one of the inspirations behind Tolkien's (and Peter Jackson's/Alan Lee's interpretation of) Smeagol/Gollum - albeit without the mass of bristling hair. It is no wonder that contemporary collectors lauded this group of paintings as superb, since they break the self-imposed boundaries of youthful subject matter that have been Rackham's forté previously as well as being obvious examples of his true artistic merit. show less

This book is a gem containing the full set of Arthur Rackham’s 1909-1911 illustrations of the legendary Richard Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” or “The Nibelung’s Ring”, more commonly “The Ring” in the operatic world. These 64 watercolor illustrations cover the tetralogy of the prologue (Das Rheingold) followed by three “days” – Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), Siegfried, and Die Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods).

By the publication time of these 64 illustrations, Rackham (British) was well recognized in his profession. Having started in the field of graphic journalism in 1893 (before photos can be printed, news graphics were drawn), his fame first arrived in 1900 with his edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales show more and was farther strengthened by his 1905 Washington Irving’s Rip van Winkle. In the “Ring”, Rackham had the freedom to translate this operatic giant into a nearly self-explanatory, not-for-children (as Rackham had said) set of images with all the ferocity, wickedness, wretchedness, desperation, and heroism that each character represented. The women, in particular, are outstanding. Brunnhilde, as the introduction of the Valkyries in Die Walkure in Act II, was full of strength and courage, yet undeniably beautiful. Freia, the goddess of youth, in Das Rheingold, Scene II, had a pouty, youthful beauty that is simply perfect. I did notice that his interpretation of beauty is much slimmer and fitted than the art in a similar era; admittedly, it’s what I prefer.

While I was vaguely familiar of this story, it was a pleasure to re-ponder on the influence that Wagner’s “Ring” had on Tolkien and the parallels to other literature such as the Excalibur. One of these days, I’ll clear my calendar and park my butt down to watch this tetralogy at the Opera House!

One quote from the Introduction – on youth and C.S. Lewis:

“…Rackham held that the work was strictly for adults. As he wrote to a young admirer, the illustrations ‘are not well suited for those lucky people who haven’t yet finished the delightful adventure of growing up.’ Nevertheless, C.S. Lewis, who was thirteen when the second volume was published, later wrote of it in ‘Surprised by Joy’, ‘His pictures, which seemed to me then to be the very music made visible, plunged me a few fathoms deeper into my delight. I have seldom coveted anything as I coveted that book…’” show less

I either love or hate Wagner on any given day, but this is hands down the best experience I've run into for the ring cycle - lovely art, and no screaming.