Hannibal and Fine Art 3
11 'St Francis in Ecstasy' by El Greco (circa 1600): Peter Bernardone from Hannibal (2013-2015) embodies the qualities of the Catholic Saint Francis - patron of birds, animals, and the environment. He is often depicted wearing simple robes, having stigmata, and sometimes accompanied by birds and/or animals.
12 Decorative Ossuary Displays: The totem from Hannibal (2013-2015), while gruesome, echoes the way that the dead have been exhumed and displayed in creative ways for centuries. Art created from the bones of deceased parishioners decorates churches, tombs, and catacombs in Europe.
13 'Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge' (1872-1875) by James McNeill Whistler: The colours, tones, and dream-like quality of the scene in which Hannibal, beaten and bloody, retreats over the River Arno in Florence after his encounter with Jack is reminiscent of Whistler's enigmatic painting.
14 Vintage Skull Postcards: In Hannibal, a transitional shot between faces emphasizes the skull-like qualities of both. A popular form of optical illusion in art, particularly in postcards of the early 20th Century, involved creating the image of a skull (aka. the spectre of death) from seemingly innocuous and often pleasant scenes.
15 Anatomical Venus: A Hirst comparison to Beverly Kat's dissection is obvious, but I've focused instead on older artworks which were used to educate, humble (momento mori), scare, shock, and (let's be real) titillate people over the centuries. Why do you think so many women are represented in these anatomical models? Do you really believe it is because people simply want to learn about the womb? ... Nah, it's a sex thing.
