Hekata William Blake: What this picture tells me about?
What will the goddess Hecate choose – free passion or law? Life or immortality? Why William Blake portrayed the powerful goddess so lonely and lost? Our experts examine the picture and tell us about what they know and feel.
British poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827) painted the picture “Hekata” in 1795. It is exhibited in the Tate Gallery in London. The Romans called Hecate the “goddess of the three roads”, an almighty ruler of everything that was happening in these directions. Depicted it in the form of three figures connected by backs. Her three heads confidently looked forward, each in its direction.
In the picture of William Blake Hecate is depicted in violation of the canon: the figures are separated from each other. Two turned face to each other, and the third generally looks somewhere to the side.
1. Central figure
Maria Revyakina, art critic: “The mystical of the work is emphasized by the gloomy color scheme, a bizarre game of lines and a violation of the traditional perspective and composition. Only the main character seems to be the essence of real, and everything else seems to live its own separate life in another world. “.
Andrey Rossokhin, Psychoanalyst: “I see in this violation of the canon a clear rejection of power over space. Refusal (or inability?) indicate the direction “.
2. Men’s hands and feet
Maria Revyakina: “Attention is attracted by male hands and massive hekata feet: masculinity in this case acts as a symbol of strength and power. A huge force is hidden behind a dreamy female appearance, which, apparently, scares the heroine itself “.
Andrey Rossokhin: “The main figure of Hecate resembles the Demon of Vrubel – the same pose, the same bisexuality, a combination of male and female. But the demon is extremely passionate, ready for movement, and here I feel some depression and tremendous internal stress. There is no power in this figure, her strength is as if blocked “.
3. Sight
Maria Revyakina: “”Hecate’s gaze is turned inside itself, it is lonely and even scared, but at the same time it is replaced and selfish. She is clearly not satisfied with loneliness and the world around, full of fear, but hekata understands that she has her own mission that needs to be fulfilled “.
Andrey Rossokhin: “”Hecate’s hand lies on the book (8), this is definitely the Bible, as if claims the law, morality. But at the same time, her face is turned away from the Bible in the opposite direction. Most likely, she looks at the snake, which, like a snake-guide (6), wants to seduce her “.
4. Figures behind the back
Maria Revyakina: “Figures behind, are more like some faceless and asexual creatures, the color of their hair contrasts with the color of the heroine’s hair, which is symbolic. The dark hair color was associated with the mind, mystical, understanding of the cosmos, while light – with practicality, landing and coldness. A clash of duality and tripling in this picture is no coincidence. Thus, the artist shows us Hecate as a lonely, vulnerable essence in his inconsistency and unity at the same time. “.
Andrey Rossokhin: “Two naked figures that represent the other two hypostasis of the goddess are conditional Adam and Eve. They would like to meet, connect in passion, but they are shared by Hecate, who does not know what to do. They looked down, do not dare to look at each other. Their hands are powerlessly lowered or even removed behind their backs. The genitals are closed. And at the same time hekata itself, I recall, looks into the eyes of the tempter, and holds his hand on the Bible. It is as if paralyzed, can not choose either one or the other. “.
5. Minor characters
Maria Revyakina: “On the left side of the picture we see an owl (5), which in ancient times was considered a symbol of wisdom, but later became a symbol of darkness and evil. The snake (6) is insidious and cunning, but at the same time wise, immortal, has knowledge. Both the owl and the snake are tense. Only a donkey (7), whose image is associated with knowledge of fate, is calm. He seemed to be reconciled, submitting to Hecate (from mythology we know that Zeus gave Hecate
power over fate). His peace contrasts with total tension “.
Andrey Rossokhin: “The conflict between the body and the spirit, passion and prohibition, paganism and Christianity is obvious. Hecate, a phallic woman with enormous omnipotence, acquires human features here, begins to be seduced by sexuality, but is not able to make a choice either in favor of her divine power or in favor of earthly joys. Owl’s eyes (5) have the same reddish shine as the snake. The owl resembles a small child captured by sexual fantasies, whose eyes are widely open from excitement. Dragon (9), which flies, straightening the wings, in the background, is similar to the observing “Super-I”. He monitors hekata and is ready to devour her if she chooses to become a mortal woman. If she regains the power of the goddess, the dragon will humbly fly away “.
The voice of the unconscious
Andrey Rossokhin: “I perceive the picture as a dream of Blake. And I perceive all the images as the voices of his unconscious. Blake revered the Bible, but at the same time sang love free from dogmas and prohibitions. He always lived with this conflict in his soul, and especially at the age when he painted the picture. Blake does not know how to find a balance, how to combine pagan power, sexuality, freedom of feelings with Christian law and morality. And the picture reflects this conflict as much as possible.
It is characteristic that the largest figure here is a donkey (7). He is always present in the paintings of the Nativity of Christ, next to the nurseries where Jesus lies, and therefore I perceive him as a Christian symbol. According to Blake, Christ had to harmonize the body and soul, give the place of sexuality. And therefore in his birth saw something permitting, joyful. But in the picture this harmony is not. Conflict resolution did not happen either in the life of the artist, or later “.