The artwork entitled “Woman kills injured man,” painted in 1994 by Odd Nerdrum, is an oil on canvas piece measuring 200 x 290 cm. Belonging to the Neo-baroque art movement, this symbolic painting captures a moment of intense emotional and physical struggle.
In the artwork, two nude figures are portrayed in a dramatic and disturbing scene set against a desolate, twilight landscape. The central act depicts a woman in the act of stabbing an injured man, her hand firmly gripping a dagger that penetrates his back. The intense expression on the man’s face reveals a mixture of pain and shock. His body is bent forward, suggesting a moment of peril and helplessness. The overall composition evokes a surreal and grim atmosphere, enhanced by the dark, barren surroundings and the distant, shadowy figures that imply a sense of isolation and cold detachment. The painting’s powerful imagery and masterful use of chiaroscuro underscore the dramatic tensions and symbolic narratives inherent in Nerdrum’s work.
