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ITALIAN OR GERMAN SCHOOL, CA. 1900

TAMINO PLAYING THE MAGIC FLUTE

Etching on wove paper
Plate: 20 × 13 cm / 7.87 × 5.12 in
Sheet: 25.5 × 20 cm / 10.04 × 7.87 in

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Vienna

ABOUT THE PRINT
This finely worked etching, probably created around 1900, represents a lyrical and dramatic moment from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: the young prince Tamino playing the magic flute to tame the monstrous beasts that threaten him. The composition draws on the Romantic fascination with music’s power to soothe, civilize, and enchant, echoing the deeper Enlightenment ideals woven into Mozart’s opera.

Tamino stands on a rocky elevation, silhouetted in profile, fully absorbed in his playing. Around him, fantastical creatures writhe and recoil, momentarily pacified by the invisible force of music. The etched line is free yet assured, emphasizing the emotional contrasts—between calm and chaos, beauty and monstrosity—that lie at the heart of this operatic scene.

CULTURAL CONTEXT
Premiered in 1791, The Magic Flute was more than a fairy tale—it was an allegory of initiation, knowledge, and virtue, steeped in Masonic symbolism and Enlightenment ideals. The moment depicted here is central to the opera’s theme: harmony overcoming fear through music and inner strength.

This print is likely the work of a turn-of-the-century artist influenced by Symbolism or Jugendstil, both of which often looked back to literary and musical sources for inspiration. The wild, dreamlike forms and expressive anatomy suggest a Northern or Central European hand—possibly Austrian or German.

A COLLECTOR’S OBJECT
Small, rare, and evocative, this etching would appeal to collectors of opera iconography, Jugendstil, or early 20th-century graphic art. It stands as a delicate tribute to one of the most beloved operatic scenes in Western music, capturing the moment when art momentarily overcomes the monstrous.
Special thanks to Tobias Kampf for his help in identifying the subject.

Base: Paper

Epoque: XIX century

Epoque: XX century

Genre: Allegory

Genre: History painting

School: Austrian

School: German

School: Italian

Technic: Etching