Artwork Page for Lilac

Details / Information for Lilac

Lilac

1800–1805

Philipp Otto Runge

(German, 1777–1810)
Culture
Germany
Medium
Silhouette cut from off-white laid paper mounted to modern blue laid paper
Measurements
Sheet: 39.4 x 27 cm (15 1/2 x 10 5/8 in.); Matted: 55.9 x 40.6 cm (22 x 16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 2023.120
Catalogue raisonné
Richter 144
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Plants and landscape were one of Philipp Otto Runge’s favorite subjects and he once wrote “Is there not then in this new art—call it landscape if you like—a highest point to be achieved?”

Description

Lilac belongs to a series of cut-out silhouettes created by Philipp Otto Runge around the early 1800s. Each presents a plant or flower in exacting detail, including each petal and leaf. The technique used was a traditional folk practice, which Runge learned early on from his mother. He ultimately produced well over one hundred such works, which he occasionally gave as gifts; this work, for example, was offered by the artist to the Specktors, a Hamburg based family of artists.
A vertical, off-white paper silhouette depicting a lilac branch is pinned to a textured blue surface. At the base, four heart-shaped leaves sprout in pairs from a central stem. Above, the stem supports two dense clusters of small, jagged forms. Tiny metal pins secure the delicate cutout at several points. Centered vertically, the composition highlights the contrast between the off-white paper and the solid blue background.

Lilac

1800–1805

Philipp Otto Runge

(German, 1777–1810)
Germany

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork