“The Chiaroscuro Technique in the Works of W. G. Sebald” by Ermelinda Luzi A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Toronto © Copyright by Ermelinda Luzi 2017 “The Chiaroscuro Technique in the Works of W. G. Sebald” Ermelinda Luzi Doctor of Philosophy Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Toronto 2017 Abstract W. G. Sebald’s writing has often been observed to have a unique quality, a “Sebald effect”. But what is this effect? In asking about it, I was struck by the fact that, even though chiaroscuro (Italian for light and dark) is widely used in the visual arts an appreciated by many due to its mysterious quality, it is also present in Sebald’s work. Yet, it is ignored by all the literary criticism on him. Because of this discrepancy, in my dissertation I explore this artistic technique which is a key concept in creating a peculiar atmosphere because personal and historical aspects are illuminated or hidden in a similar fashion as those in a chiaroscuro composition. In fact, the latter is not only an effect of the visual arts but also of prose. In the same way as the Dutch master, Rembrandt, Sebald has placed black and white in conversation while adjusting the shades of grey to the desired density for form, texture and substance. In my thesis I argue that a deeper meaning behind this technique is not produced by a strong black and white distinction, but by observing how one gradually blends with the other. This blend gives the composition a symbolic quality as it allows the artist to set up patters of both showing and hiding and makes any symbolism of light/white and dark/black complex. The viewer is, thus, compelled to look in- between those tonal shades to find the deeper meaning behind the work. Since the Dutch painter was important to the German author he stands as a significant model for all his oeuvre. In my dissertation I begin by explaining chiaroscuro in art, then I show how it can be applied to photography. After that, I analyze chiaroscuro in Sebald’s photographs, then in his prose. In conclusion, I argue that it is this technique which holds the fabric of his works intact through an invisible thread and gives his prose “a Sebald effect.” With this study I have given an analytical theory for future research and have contributed to the larger body of literature scholarship. ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank Professor John K. Noyes who was my supervisor for eight years and has been a source of inspiration, encouragement and support throughout the writing of my dissertation. I would also like to thank my committee members Professor John Zilcosky and Professor Stefan Soldovieri who consistently reviewed every chapter of the dissertation and gave their valuable feedback. I would also like to thank my family: my husband and my two children for their constant support, love and affection throughout this challenging long period. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements . (iii) Table of Contents . .(iv-v) Introduction 1. Chiaroscuro Elements of Rembrandt’s Paintings in W. G. Sebald’s Die Ringe des Saturn . .(1-4) 2. The Anatomy of Dr. Nicolaus Tulp and the Chiaroscuro Technique History in the Visual Arts . .(5-19) 3. The Chiaroscuro Technique in the Works of Jan Peter Tripp . .(19-23) Chapter 1 Chiaroscuro in Photographs, Theatre/Plays and Literary Texts 1. Chiaroscuro Technique in Photographs . .(24-32) 2. Application of the Chiaroscuro Concept to Theatre/Plays . (33-40) 3. Application of the Chiaroscuro Concept to Literary Texts . .(41-61) Chapter 2 Light and Dark in Sebald’s Photographs 1. The Concept of Chiaroscuro to W. G. Sebald Photographs in his Quartet Prose . .(62-86) 2. Sebald’s Text and Image . .(86-105) 3. Chiaroscuro in Die Ringe des Saturn (and Austerlitz). (105-124) 4. Chiaroscuro in Austerlitz . (124-151) Chapter 3 Light and Dark in Sebald’s Prose 1. Chiaroscuro in Schwindel. Gefühle. (152-174) 2. Chiaroscuro in Die Ausgewanderten . .(174-178) 3. Dr. Selwyn’s Story . (178-187) 4. The Story of Ambros Adelwarth . .(187-193) Chapter 4 Sebald’s Gray Shades 1. Grey Shades in Schwindel. Gefühle. Images . (194-203) 2. Grey in “Il Ritorno in Patria” . .(204-211) iv 3. Dark Manchester and Gloomy London in Austerlitz . .(211-227) 4. Sebald’s Own Exile and His “Underpainting” Technique . .(227-230) Conclusion Conclusion . (231-235) Bibliography . .(236-244) v Introduction “. and painting, what is it, anyway, if not a kind of dissection procedure in the face of black death and white eternity?” - Sebald: As Day and Night 1 Chiaroscuro Elements of Rembrandt’s Painting in W. G. Sebald’s Die Ringe des Saturn Why is the study of chiaroscuro important in W. G. Sebald’s works? Chiaroscuro technique is a key concept in his texts because it is used to illuminate personal and historical aspects which have been forgotten in the dark corners of history. These moments the author choses to illuminate during his (nocturnal) travels are indeed ‘grey areas’ because they refer to a place and history of human suffering and destruction which is present and absent. Choosing unconventional paths of travel he is in search of the unpredictable and the unseen, yet, despite trying to escape the familiar by visiting foreign landscapes, the familiar is still there in one form or another be it place, architectural structure, historical or literary figure or other. The chiaroscuro technique becomes a crucial visual tool when the narrator visits numerous places containing murals and paintings. Looking at them and analyzing them mentally enables him to say, indirectly, that in history hidden and revealed aspects are like light and dark areas of a (chiaroscuro - Italian for light and dark) painting. Notable artworks where the technique of the chiaroscuro is relevant to Sebald’s prose are those of the Dutch master Rembrandt in The Rings of Saturn, those of the Italian painter Tiepolo in Schwindel. Gefühle., and Jan Peter Tripp. In this sense, the paintings help him map place, time and history in space. Again, this particular place and history in Sebald refer to a liminal area; an in-betweenness of there and not there. Home and Heimat are considered to be the epitome of the ‘gray area’ and in-betweenness because the familiar and the unfamiliar are blended just like dark and light elements. 2 The Sebaldian Effect In all of his works Sebald explores and excavates the horrible disasters of the 20th century in a way that he creates a unique Sebaldian effect or atmosphere. But what is this effect? Some critics have tried to solve this issue. Many of them have dealt also with Sebald’s use of black and white images incorporated in his texts. For instance, J. J. Long explores the black and white photography in Sebald, which, he argues, serves as a way to preserve and bring back the memory of the dead.1 Anne Fuchs explores the world of painters and painting and argues that Sebald used these artworks to remind the reader that they stand as a symbol of painful memory.2 Mark M. Anderson explores the ‘edge of darkness’ in Sebald’s works.3 He argues that photography serves as a way to preserve the past and remember the dead. He also talks about the horrific nature of destruction of the world wars yet he does not explore the Sebaldian effect and does not deal with chiaroscuro element in black and white images. Gray Kochhar-Lindgren deals with the trauma and memory in his “Charcoal: The Phantom Traces of W. G. Sebald’s Novel Memoir.”4 He explores the use of darkness in Sebald’s memoir works as a way of shedding light upon death and destruction. Stefanie Harris deals with the function of fine 1 Long, J. J. “W. G. Sebald: The Anti-Tourist.” In The Undiscover’d Country: W. G. Sebald !and the Poetics of Travel, ed. Markus Zisselsberger. (New York: Camden House !2010), 63-91. 2 Fuchs, Anne. “W. G. Sebald’s Painters: The Function of Fine Art in His Prose Works.” In The Modern Language Review. Vol. 101, No. 1 (January, 2006), 167-183. 3 Anderson, Mark. M. “The Edge of Darkness: On W. G. Sebald.” In The MIT Press: October. Vol. 106 (Autumn, 2003), 102-121. 4 Kochhar-Lindgren, Gray. “Charcoal: The Phantom Traces of W.G. Sebald’s Novel Memoirs.” In Monatshefte. Vol. 94, No. 3 (Fall, 2002), 368-80. 3 art in his prose and the representation of Heimatkunst.5 In a similar fashion as J. J. Long she argues that photography serves as a symbol of memory and preserving the past. Yet the problem remains unsolved as to how Sebald creates the Sebaldian effect. I will argue that the mastery of the use of light and dark elements (chiaroscuro) is used to give shape and depth to memory, pain, trauma and loss. The chiaroscuro technique in Sebald’s texts is used in a similar fashion as that of Rembrandt in his paintings; this unique artistic technique helps create the also called “Sebaldian/Rembrandt effect”, that is why I venture to say that I consider Sebald to be the Rembrandt of the 20th century. In my thesis I will take a further step to explore how Sebald has unfolded in a new and innovative way the horrible disasters of the 20th century as well as the horrific nature of (human) destruction. Due to his mastery of the chiaroscuro elements in his prose Sebald, like Rembrandt, uses this technique to shed light upon the missing element: the darkness about the hidden past and also to give depth and dimension to loss, pain, trauma and memory.