.gif)
Manfred on the Jungfrau (1837)
Encyclopedia
In the time that the artwork was created, 'man and nature' was a theme
that was popular among romantic artists and writers, and influences of this are evident within this watercolour work. Images of figures standing on cliff
tops, about to throw themselves off to their death were quite common among the artworks and writings which shared this theme.
Three years after Martin completed his version, Ford Madox Brown
produced another painting entitled Manfred on the Jungfrau
. This later oil-on-canvas
version depicts Manfred up close, with his facial features and a look of horror clearly visible, as well as the same chamois hunter.
Brown's version, despite being painted later, is probably the more renowned of the two works.
Theme (arts)
In the visual arts, a theme is a broad idea or a message conveyed by a work, such as a performance, a painting, or a motion picture. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a work. Themes are usually implied...
that was popular among romantic artists and writers, and influences of this are evident within this watercolour work. Images of figures standing on cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
tops, about to throw themselves off to their death were quite common among the artworks and writings which shared this theme.
Three years after Martin completed his version, Ford Madox Brown
Ford Madox Brown
Ford Madox Brown was an English painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Arguably, his most notable painting was Work...
produced another painting entitled Manfred on the Jungfrau
Manfred on the Jungfrau (1842)
The painting depicts the central character of the poem, Manfred, who is a noble and wealthy aristocrat, about to toss himself from the heights of the Jungfrau mountain...
. This later oil-on-canvas
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
version depicts Manfred up close, with his facial features and a look of horror clearly visible, as well as the same chamois hunter.
Brown's version, despite being painted later, is probably the more renowned of the two works.