(Burg/Magdeburg 1859–1923 Nuremberg)
Tannhäuser and Venus in the Venusberg, scene from Richard Wagner’s opera, signed Ferdinand Leeke Munich, oil on canvas, 118 x 151 cm, restored, framed

Provenance:
European Private Collection.

Ferdinand Leeke (1859-1923) was a Bavarian painter known for his depictions of fairy tales and mythological scenes. He studied at the Munich Academy under Ludwig von Herteich and Sandor Liezen-Mayer, where he learnt to combine dramatic landscapes and sculptural figures to create a narrative. Leeke’s popularity rose especially when he was commissioned to paint scenes from Wagnerian operas by the composer’s son, Siegfried Wagner.

In this work, Leeke depicts elements from Wagner’s Tannhäuser. The opera’s story is embedded in German mythology and medieval legendary tales, and centres around the theme of love. At the start, the hero is willingly a captive of Venus in her cave, the Venusberg, a scene which Leeke chose to paint. Motifs of the opera are echoed in the painting, such as the shepherd and his flute or the distant Wartburg castle on the hill. Leeke paints with a high level of detail, emphasizing drapes and shining metal, but keeps an allusive, dry and faded quality, which contributes to the legendary atmosphere. Here, Leeke also references future events. While Venus’ nude body and her embracing arm allow the viewer to understand the current nature of the figure’s relationship, the valley and the castle allude to Tannhäuser’s future attempt to find salvation from earthly pleasures outside of the cave.