A Hermit Leading his Horse to Water
Medium
Etching on paper
Dimensions
Image: 18 × 10.4 cm (7 1/8 × 4 1/8 in.); Plate: 19.3 × 13.1 cm (7 5/8 × 5 3/16 in.); Sheet: 33 × 25.5 cm (13 × 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141442
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil etching *A Hermit Leading his to Water* (1840), Austrian artist Moritz von Schwind captures a moment of quiet communion with nature. Schwind, a key figure in the Romantic movement and a close associate of composer Franz Schubert, often infused his works with poetic, narrative charm drawn from folklore and literature. This intimate scene—measuring just 18 × 10.4 cm—depicts a solitary hermit guiding his steed to a stream, evoking themes of simplicity, introspection, and harmony between man and beast during an era of rapid industrialization. Rendered in etching on paper, the work...
About the Artist
Moritz von Schwind · 1804–1871
Comment on works: genre; history; portrait; illustrator