MONOCULTURE | A Recent History

The symbol of the swan connects Beuys’ hometown of Cleves with Antwerp. The animal often appears in Rhineland mythology, and during his childhood Beuys could see the golden swan at the top of the Schwanenburg castle from his bedroom. Early in his life, Beuys was also influenced by the composer Richard Wagner, particularly his Lohengrin opera, a continuation of the European ‘Swan Knight’ tradition, which is set in Antwerp on the banks of the river Schelde.