Image

Constant Nieuwenhuys-Erlkönig, 1990

Photographer

Tom Haartsen

Erlkönig

1990
45,9cm
x 35,4cm
paper
watercolour
Collection Fondation Constant, NL

CID

441

The Elf King king is a ballad written by the German poet, Goethe, in 1782. Put to music by Schubert in 1815. It tells the sad tale of a father riding home with his son in his arms (presumably the boy is ill). The boy sees feverish images of the Elven king, imagery of death, who tries to lure him to the 'other side'. The boy frantically cries out to his father for help. The Elven king is relentless and threatens to take the boy by force. When the father reaches his destination the boy has passed away.
Constant also made an etch of the Erlkönig.

    English title

    Elf King

    Alternate titles

    Le roi des aulnes
    1994

    Signed/dated

    Signed, dated and titled Constant '90, "Erlkönig", bottom left in black pencil

    Provenance

    1990 Constant
    2005 Collection Fondation Constant
    Tags
    Art
    Child
    Death
    Father
    Music

    Frame dimensions

    69,3 x 58,9 x 2,8 cm

    Books

    Title Year Page Number
    Constant, De late periode 2008 254 223
    Constant. Aquarellen | Watercolors 1995 65 25
    Constant. Les Aquarelles 1994 187 89

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