A series of paintings of beautiful women, culminating in a large work featuring hundreds of female figures. The artist had one thing on his mind.
symbolism
Berlin, the vibrant city of modern arts, brought love and marriage – and a brief reprise of Salome too.
He had 11 paintings shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, in 1878, following which he was commissioned to paint over 60 watercolours.
His time in Munich concluded with his first great painting, inspired by Wilde’s play, which was in turn inspired by Moreau’s paintings of Salome.
Two paintings showing Salome. In one, she dances for Herod, and asks for the head of John the Baptist. In the other, she tries to stare out the severed head.
When he was in Munich, he did much more than just drink lots of red wine and champagne. Here are his experimental paintings from the period.
After some false starts, he finally re-established his reputation at the Salon, but was that work a political allegory?
He still couldn’t repeat his earlier success in the years running up to the Franco-Prussian War. But some paintings have been under-appreciated.
Two paintings of the buried dismemberment of a victim: one theatrical narrative, the other a serene reverie of anti-theatrical non-narrative. And an oriental witch.
He took the Salon of 1864 by storm, but was barely noticed with 2 more paintings the following year. Why?
The Eclectic Light Company 