I’m ignoring the fact that I’ve been gone for a month and so should you because finals are ridiculous and who wants to work over Christmas anyway.
Because, quite simply, I want to talk about this:
Horrifying, isn’t it? I love this piece so much. I cannot stop thinking about it.
First, some context: this artwork depicts Vlad the Impaler, Voivode of Wallachia from 1448-1476, who made some absolute hell for the Ottoman Turks and is generally regarded as one of the most bloodthirsty madmen in history. He is also known as Vlad Dracula Tepes, and was the inspiration for Count Dracula. Yeah, that Dracula.
This man got his name by impaling people on stakes. While they were still alive. It was terrible and he killed a lot of people in the name of keeping the Ottoman Turks out of Europe.
However, in my travels around the internet, I have found that when Romanians discuss him, it is usually in good terms, as he is considered a good ruler. This is mostly because as long as he lived, he kept the Ottoman Turks from invading Wallachia.
This brings us around to the painting. I don’t know who the artist is, but the detail work is absolutely stunning. The very first thing that came into my mind when I saw this artwork was that it reminded me of the iconography of Christian Saints that was common in the medieval period.
In particular the placement of the hands and the almost-flat illustration style complete with lots of details were what caught my eye. The details are exquisite, precisely drawn, and the three panels are in perfect contrast. The bright fire of the right and left panels offset the light blue background of the middle and make Vlad, who is the central focus of this image, much more prominent.
He is instantly recognizable, and the added supernatural elements (wings, fangs, etc) seem to be perfectly in place. Additionally, I want to draw attention to the detailing on his clothes, because they are immaculate.
Anyway, that’s all, I just thought you all needed something unusual to add to your experience, so enjoy. I will see you next week, now that we are back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Grace's Place 