A friendship for the ages

Italia and Germania, by Friedrich Overbeck (1828)

This allegorical painting by Friedrich Overbeck (1789-1689) depicts two women sitting closely together, holding each other’s hands. It’s a touching representation of true friendship.

George Eliot once characterized friendship as, “the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person.” This painting represents such intimacy in a stunning and immediate way.

Take a careful look at their expressions. What are they talking about? Is the woman on the right consoling her friend? Or is she about to share a secret? We can’t tell what they’re saying to each other, but their body language says it all. These women trust each other completely. They are friends for life.

But the painting is also a sociopolitical allegory. The woman on the left represents Italy (Italia) and the women holding her hand is Germany (Germania). The background continues this motive. On the left, we see an Italian landscape, contrasted with a German gothic village on the right.

At the time, Germany and Italy were not unified nations, but dispersed European principalities. This meant that the painting represented a trans-nationalist ideal of harmony between nations. The painting suggested that Germany and Italy could someday be unified and yet remain two distinct identities, with a shared bond of trust and friendship.

Above all, it’s a touching portrayal of female friendship.

It brings to mind the so-called “Princesses-monument” (by Johann Gottfried Schadow), depicting the Prussian princesses, Louise and Frederica (possibly the inspiration for Disney’s ‘Frozen’?).

Female figures have often been used as political symbols in art. Perhaps the most well-known example is Eugene Delacroix’s ‘Liberty leading the revolution’. (1830). The woman carrying the French flag across the barricades represents the rebirth of the nation and the triumph of democracy over opression.

But what makes the painting of Italia and Germania stand out to me is how incredibly gentle it is. This isn’t just a political allegory, but a meditation on the almost inexpressible comfort provided such friendship.

The expressions of the two women are so naturalistic and tender. It’s a masterful feat to combine a classical style with such psychological realism. Look at the way the woman on the left leans her head against her friend’s temple. It’s so lifelike and transcendent at the same time. It captures something timeless and pure.

As the Chilean-American author Isabel Allende once wrote:

“True friendship resists time, distance and silence.”

Like the friendship it depicts, this painting has survived the passage of time and has outgrown its politcal message.

Today it speaks to us once more, whispering into our ear a comforting thought: that as long as we have a friend, we will never be alone.

Julian

Thank you for reading my newsletter. My goal is to make Fine Art accessible to anyone. If you’d like to help me keep writing these daily posts please consider becoming a paying subscriber for just $5. It makes a huge difference, thank you!