derectumart

[derectumart]

'Across Acheron' in tribute to Gustave Doré

Hello dear reader, stop by for a little tale.

So back in the days before the AI and Photoshop, there was, once upon a time, a great artist called Gustave Doré. He decided that it would be a really great idea to illustrate Dante's Divine Comedy, probably one of the most famous works of biblical myth aside from the actual Bible. He created 75 illustrations for it and they are all incredible masterpieces.

As an artist, I'm super obsessed with the past, and mythology! Especially works of art like this, that run the risk of being forgotten. The one I wanted to bring back to focus is the one from 1857, namely "Plate X: Canto III: Charon herds the sinners onto his boat." Not only is this work extremely atmospheric and a dark rendition of the mix between Greek and Biblical mythology, it is also an incredibly skilful display of Doré's grasp of human anatomy. Each and every human body is portrayed in a compelling, dynamic way alongside the emotion of complete tragedy and hopelessness. #Charon himself is inspired by Michelangelo's prior depiction in the Sistine Chapel.

My aim was to bring back this incredible piece of work in a modern way and recreate it with colour, while trying to preserve the emotion behind it. I wanted to focus on a re-interpretation of it, so to speak. So, I added a few modifications to the mountains in the background, fixed up Charon a little to make him stand out, and applied my own style to the piece.

The final result was this:

And I'm very pleased with it!

Doré's style and work is phenomenal and he has become my greatest recent inspirations. His works on the Divine Comedy is full of emotion, and a gothic impression pervades every line drawn.

As the tale goes, Charon is the ferryman of the dead, taking the lost souls across the river Styx (or in this case Acheron); Dante mixes Greek and Biblical mythology in his work about the famous journey through the underworld, which is honestly really awesome and inspiring to me.

Thank you for reading,