Mahr 1991

Boris Vallejo created this painting called Mahr using oil paints. I can imagine him conjuring a mystical underworld, somewhere between dreams and nightmares, on the canvas. The artist’s masterful use of chiaroscuro evokes a scene with sharp contrasts between light and shadow. There is a striking juxtaposition of a kneeling woman bathed in light and a looming bat-like figure in the background. That woman must be so scared! It is difficult to get the right balance of strength and vulnerability, yet he does it so gracefully. A crude rendering wouldn't give me the same shivers. It's like a scene from a graphic novel or the cover of a fantasy book, isn't it? Vallejo probably took cues from classic paintings, infusing them with a contemporary twist. The theatrical drama creates a world of endless possibilities. It reminds me of the ways in which painters speak across generations, constantly responding to and reinterpreting the works of those who came before them.