Seaside Cemetery Hirschl

On September 26, 2014 I visited the Dallas Museum of Art. I walked through the exhibits looking for something that would stand out from all the other art. In the European Art Collection one particular piece caught my eye, it was the “Seaside Cemetery (Seefriedhof)” that was made by Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl. Hirschl’s painting represents the imbalance of power between mankind and nature. He shows the helplessness of man in the face of nature. Hirschl is able to do this by his use of dark colors, tenebrous atmosphere and he also uses symbolism to set a mood to the painting.
In this painting the land and water is separated by a stone wall. The land is completely surrounded by water it maybe an island or costal city. On the land we see several
One piece is the land, which has the cemetery this is used to depict the devastation or loss of life that can be caused by nature. Whereas the other part of the painting which is the wind blowing the trees and the water striking the rocks, this shows the sheer power of nature. The crosses that are on the land have what appears to be garlands on them. This seems to suggest that this is some sort of cemetery. Hirschl uses symbolism, by using the cemetery as a synonym for loss and despair he is able to set the mood of the painting. It gives a sort sad feeling like the loss of a loved one. He also uses the cemetery to show the power of nature as well. The gravestones seem to be at an angle as though they have been shifted from their original position by the wind or water. This is combination with the waves and wind show that man is no match for nature. Though man may cause some harm, if nature wanted to, then it could be even more destructive. The waves are hitting the rocks with such force that the water is splashing and wind is blowing so hard that the trees branches seem to be bending a little. Again Hirschl uses symbolism here, he wants to show the immense power of nature and though nature can be pleasant and enjoyable, sometimes it cannot be tamed, it has the ability be rash and unbearable. The sky seems to be a little dark with a lot of
The dark colors that were used in the trees, grass and sky were helpful in setting the mood of the painting, they help to convey what Hirschl wants to say. Hirschl was also triumphant in his use of symbolism to show the destructiveness of nature and the helplessness of man. The use of the water hitting the rocks with great force as well as the windy atmosphere along with the cemetery, showed that man could never control nature. His elements worked very well together, on first look of the painting we see the gravestones and immediately feel gloomy which is what Hirschl wants. Another thing that can be felt at a glance of this painting is helplessness, we feel as though we cannot do anything with such gusty winds and powerful waves. This piece of work is very relevant because it gives a feeling that we cannot do whatever we want and not suffer the consequences. It reminds us that we should keep our mind and thoughts