Masterpiece Stories

Painting of The Week: Franz von Stuck, Lucifer

Zuzanna Stańska 23 October 2016 min Read

We start a new series of articles where every week we will present you a story about one particular piece of art. If you have any requests, please leave your comments below. Meanwhile,  Halloween is coming soon, on this occasion we want to present Lucifer by Franz von Stuck –  a scary and provocative masterpiece of a dark symbolism.

Franz von Stuck, Lucifer, National Gallery, Sofia, 1890

Franz von Stuck, Lucifer, National Gallery, Sofia, 1890
Franz von Stuck, Lucifer, National Gallery, Sofia, 1890

Franz von Stuck was a German artist and one of the founders of the Munich Secession, he was known in the late 19th century as Munich’s “painter prince”. The painting belongs to Stuck’s “dark monumental” period, presenting an image of “man-demon” – it’s Symbolism in a full swing. Ready for more?

“When choosing my subject matter, I seek to render only the purely human, the eternally valid—such as the relationship between man and woman,” the artist said in 1912. “Most of my paintings feature a ‘he’ and a ‘she.’ I would like to glorify the strength of man and the soft pliancy of woman. Even in my religious paintings, I seek to highlight the human aspect, that which is universally understandable. In my mind, a savage would be able to see that it is a noble man here who is nailed to the cross between two barbarians.”

Stuck’s painterly subjects oscillate between life and death, the Apollonian and the Dionisian. Von Stuck’s big idea is humanity itself, all its passion and pain, all its contradiction. Lucifer strikes the viewer not just as an embodiment of evil, but an embodiment of the human element in evil. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, once owner of Lucifer, told von Stuck that the painter “terrified” his ministers, who made the sign of the cross upon first sight of the fallen archangel—a story von Stuck retold with glee, one presumes.

Find out more:

[easyazon_image align=”none” height=”160″ identifier=”0988949520″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/61mbqXWjzvL.SL160.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”140″]   [easyazon_image align=”none” height=”160″ identifier=”3791355732″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/51FLoeRwGL.SL160.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”132″]   [easyazon_image align=”none” height=”160″ identifier=”9040097720″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/51AKiGJT9pL.SL160.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”120″]

 

Get your daily dose of art

Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time

Recommended

Marie-Denise Villers, Self-Portrait, 1802, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait by Marie-Denise Villers

Self-Portrait by Marie-Denise Villers showcases the genius of a leading female artist of Napoleonic...

James W Singer 10 March 2024

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, oil on oak panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Dog at Rest by Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou’s Dog at Rest is a masterpiece of Dutch genre painting, perfect for both dog enthusiasts and art...

James W Singer 25 February 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird by Frida Kahlo

The story of Frida Kahlo is narrated through her artworks. She left an indelible mark on the art world with her emotionally charged and...

Celia Leiva Otto 29 February 2024

Ramesses II, New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1279–1254 BCE, granodiorite, Temple of Amun, Karnak Temple Complex, Thebes (Luxor), Egypt, Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Ramesses II

The statue of Ramesses II is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian sculpture that proclaims the royal majesty and prowess of Ramesses the...

James W Singer 11 February 2024