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Von Stuck, Franz - 1890 Lucifer
Identifier
019636
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
There was an exremely dark side to Franz von Stuck. Although he calls this Lucifer, this has nothing to do symbolically with Lucifer, and Stuck knew his symbolism.
He is painting his state of mind. On the left is the Light. On the right is himself with staring and bulging eyes indicating he is having a vision of some sort, but he is not in the Light, he has plunged into the abyss.
Stuck was recognized as permanently unfit to serve in the army and navy on the basis of "§ 36 of the replacement order". At the time of the First World War, he would have been too old to fight anyway. But something was not right somewhere for him to have been able to paint this scene of terror - a truly deep deep dive - and to be declared unfit to serve.
There are other paintings like these. War is one of them.
A description of the experience
