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