Efnisien is the half-brother of Branwen and
Bendigeidfran, and after discovering that he was not told about Branwen’s
wedding, he mutilates the horses of the Irish king, causing a large fight
between the two families. Bendigeidfran is able to settle the situation by
replacing the horses, but Efnisien later causes an even bigger battle in
Ireland, where he hides under a pile of dead bodies to escape being found.
I began planning the composition by researching artworks
that depict scenes of mangled bodies such as The Raft of the Medusa. This image
is highly realistic, which is very different from the illustrations that I’m making
but was also inspiring to see how their limbs fell. In contrast with this, I
also researched illustrations by Polly Nor, who has illustrations of limbs and
snakes that intertwine in a contemporary fashion, which was more similar to the
outcome I wanted to achieve.
For the image to depict narrative, I used
symbolism among the limbs of the dead soldiers, such as 3 horses running around
with mutilated lips and ears, a bonfire to communicate the stress of the
battle, with spirits evaporating with the smoke, and also swords and daggers
with blood. The only face that is shown in the image is the face of Efnisien,
who’s hidden under the pile.
No comments:
Post a Comment