About Undine – Oil on canvas
For this painting (100x120cm) inspired by the mermaid myth, Petra Schott revisited Ingeborg Bachmann’s short story ‘Undine geht’ (my translation: Undine Leaves). Written in a fiery, almost manifesto-like style, the story reflects Bachmann’s anger at masculine dominance, patriarchy, and the constraints of male-dominated language and rationality. In contrast, Undine embodies an intuitive, otherworldly perspective. As a being from another realm, her soul can only be redeemed through union with a truly loving man— a trial that ultimately ends in failure, prompting her return to the waters.
“In my visual interpretation, she is not longer searching for redemption, but is happily returning into her fluid realm emanating clarity and a calm atmosphere of being at home.”
