Painting reproduction handmade of the artwork
Orestes and the Erinyes (Stuck)

This cropped variant of Franz von Stuck’s artwork “Orestes and the Erinyes” concentrates all the dramatic intensity of the myth on the tumult of intertwined bodies. Stripped of the darkest margins, the scene throws us into the heart of Orestes’ nightmare. The tormented hero, barely visible in the darkness, is surrounded by vengeful Furies with mad stares and livid flesh. The rotational movement of the composition, accentuated by the upside-down creature holding snakes, creates a powerful feeling of vertigo. The jarring contrasts between the bluish hues of the night, the glowing red drapes, and the deathly whiteness of the skins illustrate von Stuck’s mastery in visually translating the madness and guilt gnawing at the human soul. An absolute masterpiece.