View from the Artist's Studio Window, Rome

Max Klinger

1890 · Etching and drypoint · Drawings and Prints

Often considered a forerunner of Surrealism, Klinger produced fourteen major print cycles between 1879 and 1915, many of which are presciently modern in their embrace of dreamlike fantasy and the uncanny. In addition to these widely published series, he also made many small editions of single prints, such as this etching, that possess a similar uneasiness. Here, a solitary figure standing on a balcony enlivens an otherwise desolate scene in which seemingly abandoned buildings frame a curiously vacant space. This etching was made while Klinger lived in Rome. He produced several works that captured the view of the Eternal City from his studio window. This expansive view with its architectural detail suggests the young artist’s excitement at his new surroundings.

Artist

Max Klinger

Date

1890

Medium

Etching and drypoint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of James David Draper and the Robert Isaacson Collection, 2020