Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein-Inspired Grid Paintings

Romanticism

• Romanticism emphasized communicating emotion, especially dark emotions, like fear, apprehension, and terror.

• Also emphasized creativity and originality as opposed to using conventional ideas of something like fear. – You’ll have to think outside the box as to how to

communicate fear in a novel way.

Mary Shelley

• Author during the Romantic Era• She and her husband decided to have a “horror

story” writing competition.• During this competition, she dreamt of a scientist

who “created life” in a horrific way.• Hence, “Frankenstein”– One of the first true science fiction stories (because the

Dr. Frankenstein uses scientific experiments to create something supernatural

– Dr. Victor Frankenstein!

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

• AKA “The Modern Prometheus” • In Greek Mythology, Prometheus was the Titan who

created man behind Zeus’s back.• He taught man everything he needed to survive (how to

hunt, fish, heal, etc.).• Stole fire from Zeus and gave that to man also.• As punishment, Zeus fixed Prometheus to the rock of

Caucasus (between Europe and Asia) to eternally have an eagle peck out his liver every day (it would re-grow each day because he’s immortal).

Assignment

• Choose a person that you already find to be “macabre” or dark in some way.

• You will draw this person’s face, and the paint it using a tempera batik technique to make them look zombie-ish, like they’ve risen from the dead.

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

Macabre

My Example