ITALIAN OR GERMAN SCHOOL, CA. 1900, TAMINO PLAYS THE MAGIC FLUTE

ITALIAN OR GERMAN SCHOOL, CA. 1900 TAMINO PLAYS THE MAGIC FLUTE Etching on laid paper Plate: 20 × 13 cm / 7.87 × 5.12 inches Sheet: 25.5 × 20 cm / 10.04 × 7.87 inches PROVENANCE Private collection, Vienna ABOUT THE PRINT This finely worked etching, probably made around 1900, depicts a lyrical and dramatic moment from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute): the young prince Tamino playing the magic flute to tame the monstrous beasts that threaten him. The composition draws on the romantic fascination with the power of music to calm, civilize, and enchant, echoing the profound Enlightenment ideals interwoven in Mozart's opera. Tamino is depicted on a rocky height, in profile, totally absorbed in his music. Around him, fantastic creatures writhe and recoil, momentarily placated by the invisible force of the music. The etched line is free but confident, underlining the emotional contrasts—between calm and chaos, beauty and monstrosity—that are at the heart of this operatic scene. CULTURAL CONTEXT First staged in 1791, The Magic Flute is much more than a fairy tale: it is an allegory of initiation, knowledge, and virtue, imbued with Masonic symbolism and Enlightenment ideals. The moment depicted here is central to the opera's theme: harmony overcoming fear through music and inner strength. This print is probably the work of a late-century artist influenced by Symbolism or Jugendstil, movements that often drew on literary and musical sources for inspiration. The wild, dreamlike forms and expressive anatomy suggest a hand from Central or Northern Europe—perhaps Austrian or German. A COLLECTOR'S ITEM Small, rare, and evocative, this etching will captivate collectors of operatic iconography, Jugendstil, or early twentieth-century graphics. It is a delicate tribute to one of the most beloved scenes in Western opera, capturing the moment when art manages, even for a moment, to defeat the monstrous. Special thanks to Tobias Kampf for his help in identifying the subject.