Focus on The Sin (Stuck) and explain the Description.
The painting has been owned by the Neue Pinakothek since 1893. The Sin is a waist-length portrait; the face of the woman is shown as a three-quarter portrait, and the face of the snake as an en face portrait.
The woman shown is Anna Maria Brandmaier from Bayerdilling, a childhood sweetheart and model of Stuck, who is in eye contact with the viewer. Her face is shadowed, but the pupils of her large eyes with white highlights appear turned sideways to the left. The mouth is closed. Compared to the rest of the face, these eyes form a strong chiaroscuro contrast. The long black hair surrounds the almost white body with its half-visible breasts. Nipples and navel form a downward stretched triangle with their points in the composition of the painting.
An enlarged dark blue giant snake decorated with light blue patterns coils around her body and neck, appears with its head resting on the woman's right shoulder and breast and also looking directly at the viewer. The snake's head has eyes with highlights and an open mouth with the animal typical fangs, which is intended to trigger an association with the dangerous nature of the animal for the viewer. The motif of the serpent, in close association with a woman, relates to the Old Testament fall, and is depicted in the Bible in the Book of Genesis. The snake is thus presented in Stuck's picture as a symbol of seduction and danger. Above and to the right of the woman's white body, an orange-contrasted canvas forms the background, which can be construed as hellfire for those who succumb to temptations and sin. The unmistakable signature of the painter is also found in this colored area in the typeface typical of him: FRANZ STVCK. Otherwise the background is strikingly black and without depth.
The architectural picture frame has a special meaning for the painting. It is intended to emphasize the uniqueness of the painting in the exhibitions, which were usually overloaded at the time, and draw the viewers attention. Also, the frame bears the title of the painting in a specific contemporary font style: DIE SUENDE. In other versions of the painting, the title is DIE SVENDE, with the V and E appearing as a ligature. Here it can be noticed that Stuck had experience as a draftsman, graphic artist and illustrator. Stuck saw his handcrafted frames as part of a tactical masterpiece, where he not only created in his work, but also built his entire artistic life on it.
Bible temptation sin Book of Genesis lust Old Testament Neue Pinakothek