NOTES
In this drawing, Max Klinger presented two sun-drenched ancient landscapes. In the left portion, two centaurs, hybrid creatures who were part human and part horse, battle fiercely in a grassy plain. The centaurs reappear in the right portion, where the figures almost disappear into the arid, rocky landscape. Klinger incorporated architectural elements like gold columns and the decorative frieze to frame these scenes and enhance his overall scheme.
This study was part of a decorative commission for the vestibule of a villa belonging to the Austrian jurist Julius Albers. It was Klinger’s first such project, and he was given almost free rein in decorating the space with wall paintings and sculptures. He sought to create a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art that unified architecture, painting, sculpture, and ornament into a cohesive whole. This model is all that remains of the mural, as the room was eventually dismantled and the paintings based on this study were destroyed in World War II (1939–1945).
