Nigredo, 1984 (290 Kb) Oil, acrylic, emulsion, shell Anselm Kiefer

The canvas presents a landscape rendered in a manner that prioritizes texture and materiality over representational accuracy. A dominant horizontal plane stretches across the composition, suggesting a vast expanse – perhaps a field or eroded terrain. The color palette is largely restricted to earthy tones: browns, ochres, blacks, and muted grays, creating an atmosphere of decay and desolation.
The surface itself appears heavily manipulated. Layers of paint – oil, acrylic, and emulsion – are evident, built up in thick impasto that creates a palpable sense of depth and physicality. Embedded within this textured matrix are fragments of shell, further contributing to the work’s tactile quality and hinting at organic processes of accretion and dissolution. The application is not smooth; instead, its characterized by vigorous scraping, scratching, and layering, which disrupts any illusion of pictorial space.
The artist employed a technique that obscures clear forms. What might initially be perceived as rows or furrows are revealed upon closer inspection to be the result of these textural interventions rather than deliberate depictions of agricultural land. The horizon line is indistinct, blending into the sky with an ambiguous quality. A signature appears in the upper left corner, written in a style that mirrors the chaotic energy of the rest of the composition.
Subtextually, the work evokes themes of transformation and destruction. Nigredo, the title itself, refers to the first stage in alchemy – the blackening – a process of decomposition necessary for purification and rebirth. The landscape, rendered as a site of erosion and fragmentation, can be interpreted as symbolizing this destructive phase. The inclusion of shell fragments suggests a connection to the sea, further reinforcing ideas of cyclical change and the relentless power of natural forces.
The painting’s overall effect is one of profound melancholy and quiet intensity. It resists easy interpretation, instead inviting contemplation on themes of loss, decay, and the potential for renewal that lies within destruction. The emphasis on materiality – the tangible presence of paint and shell – grounds the work in a physical reality while simultaneously suggesting a deeper symbolic resonance.