Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent
Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent | |
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Artist | Henry Fuseli |
Year | 1790 |
Medium | Oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 133 cm × 94.6 cm (52 in × 37.2 in) |
Location | Royal Academy of Arts Collections, London |
Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent is an oil on canvas painting by the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli, from 1790. It is held at the Royal Academy of Arts Collections, in London.
History and description
The nude and muscular Thor stands in
This mythological-themed painting represents the Norse god Thor standing on the prow of a boat with Hymir at the helm, as he is about to strike a sword blow against the sea serpent of Midgard, the Jörmungandr (or Miðgarðsormr), which he holds tight with a chain stuck in his mouth probably with a harpoon. In the background there is an old man observing the scene: he is Thor's father, the god Odin. Except for his helmet and cape, the hero is shown naked like the neoclassical heroes and his body is muscular, further highlighted by the fact that he emerges from the dark background. He is depicted from bottom to top and with a pronounced inclination, which gives the painting a slightly darker atmosphere. The Jörmungandr can recall in a literal sense the serpentine line that was present in Italian mannerist art, wbich had been studied by the Swiss painter. Finally, the scene is set among the high waves of a stormy sea, in the middle of the night, making the work a nocturne in which naturalness is lost in favor of monstrosity and fantasy.
The subject has been interpreted in relation to Fuseli's support for the
See also
References
- ^ a b "Thor battering the Midgard Serpent, 1790". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent". VADS. Retrieved 22 October 2016.