Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions

Last Days of Karl Schrag Exhibition at The Mitchell Gallery


Karl Schrag,  Memories and Premonitions--The Young
Artist, 1981. Etching on Wove Paper. Gift of the artist. 
SUAC 1990.064. Syracuse University Art Galleries.
We are into the last couple of days of the exhibition and it has been such a pleasure to learn about this highly esteemed printmaker and teacher and to enjoy his work in the gallery for these eight weeks.

The Sunday afternoon lecture was held this past weekend and we had knowledgeable and enthusiastic participants. One of the many things I love about my job is what our visitors bring to the gallery--little "factoids" of information found in other places and sources. So, I'm sharing one of the "factoids" given to me this weekend by one of our visitors.

In the small gallery is a print titled Memories and Premonitions--The Young Artist, 1981. This print reflects memories of Schrag's childhood in Karlsruhe, Germany. Notice his mother and father sitting in opposing angles from each other and the young Schrag sketching in the lower right hand corner. One of the most interesting"factoids" on this print is the domed building in the top left corner.

Why is that dome so important? Well, that dome has an important place in Annapolis history. Maryland's State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and the only State House to have ever served as the nation's capitol. Architecturally what's important is that the dome in Karlsruhe was the inspiration for the Maryland State House! See the photos of the Karlsruhe Palace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlsruhe_Palace . The dome sits in the center of the symmetrically attached wings. Compare the image of the palace with photos of the Maryland State House on the State House website found http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdstatehouse/html/home.html .

Who knew we would have a connection with this German-American artist?
Maryland State House, courtesy of MSA website


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