2-724-747 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Briar Rose (Dornröschen), 1836. Fairy tales, folklore, and legends were understood as an important aspect of national and cultural heritage in 19th-century Germany. The interest in folk tales began as a literary phenomenon, but it soon infiltrated the visual arts. In his paintings and prints, Neureuther illustrated fairy tales and ballads of the period. In Grimm’s fairy tale Briar Rose, a princess and her kingdom are condemned to 100 years of sleep. According to the story, around the palace grew a thick hedge of briars, which every year grew higher until the castle was hidden from view. The duration of their sleep is suggested by the decorative border of wild flowers and vines that encroaches upon the castle.