Lot 102

Rudolf Jettmar (1869 - 1939) THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

Birth, life and death – these are the three pillars of the art of Austrian symbolist Rudolf Jettmar. The figure of a woman carrying two children in her arms and gently holding a third child behind her skirt immediately catches the viewer’s attention in this generously sized, remarkably mature and precisely composed work. Like the strong and proud Madonna, she firmly holds her children safely in her arms, a feature of holy motherhood. A scarlet veil ripples around her, and the expression on her face, filled with resolve, reflects the shining sky. Behind her lie three old men – an analogy of the fleetingness of life and ageing. They calmly rest, their eyes gazing up to the heavens, their togas draped around them. Dark clouds gather over the ruins of the city behind them. Rudolf Jettmar is one of the founders of the Vienna Secession and contributed to the magazine Ver Sacrum. The Journey of Life (Am Wege) was exhibited at the Secession Pavilion in Vienna in 1910. Publ.: R. Bacher, L. Bauer. B. Biegas: Secession 1910, cat. Ö 64.