Anselm Kiefer (age 66) is a German painter and sculptor. His works, which are very large scale, begin with photographs and incorporate earth, clay and other natural materials, as well as writing (names and places of people of legendary or historical importance. His work is linked to a movement called “New Symbolism.” There’s a sort of primitive, rough look to his paintings, as if a violent event has taken place and this is all that’s left—they’re pretty depressing. His work often centers on the horrors of the Holocaust; historical references include the ruins of Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War.
This painting reminds me of The Road because of the suggestion of a road stretching out beyond the horizon, with the surrounding landscape murky and undefined. The man seems like he’s presenting himself as a sacrifice—who knows why. The work is constructed using oil paint, paper and blood on canvas, which also seems fitting. It’s called Parsifal III—Parsifal is the hero of Richard Wagner’s opera (Wagner was a big cultural icon in Nazi Germany) based on the legend of Percival, one of the Knights of the Round Table who searched for the Holy Grail.
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