“Hatred and Madness” by Pasko Vucetic, 1898/99,
After digging in the soil, a deranged man with bloodshot eyes and a ghoulish complexion has reached his goal. Scattered around him is the skeleton of the woman who scorned him in life. His hatred for her unabated, he has unearthed her remains, which he plans to nail to a pillory. Holding her skull and poking the eye socket with a long finger, he opens his mouth and lets for a scream. This unsettling image was inspired by a 1877 poem entitled Il Canto del Odio (The Ballad of Hatred) by the Italian poet Olindo Guerrini whose nom de plume was Lorenzo Strecchetti.
Oil on octagonal canvas,
49.6 x 50 cm (19¹/₂ x 19⁵/₈ inches)
Ebonized and stained frame by Victor Kovacic:
34 ¾ x 34 ¾ in.; 88.5 x 88.5 cm
Courtesy: French & Compagny LLC.