Photographie, Malerei und visuelle Wahrnehmung bei Theodor Fontane

This study examines the crucial role of photography alongside painting in shaping visual perception in Theodor Fontane's literary works, particularly his novels.

In Photographie, Malerei und visuelle Wahrnehmung bei Theodor Fontane, the author explores the significant role of various visual media in Fontane's literary works. While it is well recognized that paintings, mirrors, and window views serve central functions in his novels, the impact of photography—a key visual medium of the 19th century—has often been overlooked. This study aims to fill that gap by providing a comprehensive media-aesthetic analysis of images and visuality in Fontane's narratives.

The book delves into the contrasting use of imagery, emphasizing that these literary motifs can only be fully appreciated within their historical context. It also examines how Fontane's works reflect trained modes of perception shaped by different visual media. Through a detailed investigation of his texts, particularly in the context of his wanderings through Brandenburg, the study identifies various image-analogous ways of seeing and describing that Fontane employs.

By analyzing selected novels such as Cécile, L’Adultera, Effi Briest, and Mathilde Möhring, the author illustrates how Fontane's reflections on the unreliability and subjectivity of human perception are intricately woven into the distinct ways his characters perceive their world. Photographie, Malerei und visuelle Wahrnehmung bei Theodor Fontane thus provides valuable insights into the interplay between visual culture and literature in the 19th century.