The Night Swan at Lake Starnberg

. . . is the last in the series of works inspired by the King of Bavaria, Ludwig II.

After he was deemed as insane by his ministers, due to his excessive spending, Ludwig was imprisoned in his small retreat - Berg castle, on the banks  of lake Starnberg. He was deeply unhappy here and it seemed as if the doctors were picking up on his eccentric characteristics and using them to fuel his ministers wishes to null his reign. After a walk in the grounds, with his psychiatrist, Ludwig failed to return. A search party was sent out and discovered the bodies of both the doctor and Ludwig among the reeds. 

Even to this day no one knows what truly happened that fateful night. In memorial, Ludwig's mother had a cross erected in the lake where his body was found and small chapel was built on the bank overlooking the site. This piece depicts the solitude of this particular spot with the black swan bowing his head in respect. The poem, on the engraved plaque is actually written by Ludwig and reads:

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"Fly away bird of sorrow,

 And leave this soil behind.

 Fly away and touch tomorrow,

 Where the pain will hurt no more."

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