Prelude to Lohengrin (2nd Plate)

Henri Fantin-Latour

The prelude to Act I of Richard Wagner’s three-act romantic opera Lohengrin is often considered the most important and memorable piece in the full opera, outside of the “Bridal Chorus” (known colloquially as “Here Comes the Bride”). In the prelude the holy grail descends from heaven to imbue mystical powers upon Lohengrin, one of the Knights of the Holy Grail, who is sent to guard the duchess Elsa of Brabant. This sets the tone for the opera, an interpretation of the Lohengrin chapter of Parzival, from the 13th century German Arthurian tales. Wagner dedicated this opera to Franz Liszt.

In Henri Fantin-Latour’s image, his signature compositional style uses the entirety of the plate to create motion and atmosphere, with a soft light centered directly above the main characters, the knight emerging from a deep shadow.