Original artwork description:

Ever since I read the first time about Lilith, I was fascinated by the rich mythologies that surround her character. With roots in the Babylonian mythology, she is one of the few characters that still fascinate today. This winged night creature is, in effect, the only “surviving” she-demon from the Babylonian empire, for she is reborn each time her character is reinterpreted. The retellings of the myth of Lilith reflect each generation’s views of the feminine role. As we grow and change with the millennia, Lilith survives because she is the archetype for the changing role of a woman.

Lilith has attracted the attention of some of Europe’s best-known artists and writers over time. Goethe (1749–1832) refers to Lilith in Faust, and English Victorian poet Robert Browning (1812–1889) wrote “Adam, Lilith and Eve,” another testament to the 'she-demon’s' enduring power. The Pre-Raphaelite poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882) imaginatively describes a pact between Lilith and the Bible’s serpent. A scheming and spiteful Lilith convinces her former lover, the snake, to loan her a reptilian shape. Disguised as a snake Lilith returns to Eden, convinces Eve and Adam to sin by eating the forbidden fruit, and causes God great sorrow.14 Rossetti maintains that “not a drop of her blood was human” but that Lilith nevertheless had the form of a beautiful woman, as can be seen in his painting entitled “Lady Lilith,” begun in 1864. John Collier's "Lilith with a Snake"(1886) beautifully portrays Lillith as a beautiful young woman with the snake entangled around her body. The list of amazing art and literature created around the myth of Lilith is a long one for sure.

This oil painting is my interpretation of Lilith. The texture of the canvas was build, akin to the scales of a snake's skin, prior to painting it in oil. The tone of the background is dark (night bride), while her face appears lit from within. A character so fascinating, this painting might be just the beginning of a series of paintings/stories around Lilith.

I hope you will find it intriguing and captivating.

If you have any questions about, for instance, a tailor-made order or discount when purchasing more than one painting please send me a message. I’ll be happy to answer all your questions.

Daniela Roughsedge Copyright © All rights reserved

Materials used:

High quality oil paints (Rembrandt, Sennelier, Michael Harding) on Claessens linen canvas; the canvas was textured and sealed prior to applying the oil paint. Varnished for protection.

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