The artwork, titled “Rose Open at Night,” was created by Hans Bellmer in 1934. It is classified as a symbolic painting.
The artwork presents a hauntingly surreal figure of a young girl, rendered in monochromatic tones. The girl, standing nude, is engaged in the unsettling act of lifting the skin from her torso, revealing her internal anatomy, including the ribcage and intestines. Her expression is one of focused attention, seemingly engrossed with the grotesque self-revelation. Oroborating this disturbing yet mesmerizing scene is a backdrop of intricate, swirling patterns, etched in white against the dark backdrop. These patterns emanate a sense of movement and ethereal complexity, juxtaposing the corporeal reality of the exposed organs with an abstract, almost dreamy quality. This striking synthesis of the macabre and the delicate reflects the symbolic nature of Bellmer’s work, immersing the viewer in a profound exploration of themes related to self-exploration and the human condition.