Hugo Simberg

• Simberg, Hugo : The Wounded Angel, 1903, 127x154, oil, canvas (A II 1703, Ahlström) ( 43.1 kB )

Simberg was once asked what he was trying to say with his mysterious paintings, but no reply was forthcoming. Looking at pictures is a private thing – nobody can tell you what you should or shouldn't see. Originally The Wounded Angel was untitled – Simberg simply left a black line where the title would have been. Viewers can make up their own titles if they want – what they feel is more important.

The angel in the painting has been injured in an accident. Her wing is broken. She is bleeding and her eyes are bandaged. The flowers in her hand have withered. She can't walk, so she is carried on a stretcher by two boys, perhaps to seek medical attention. The expressions on the boys' faces reveal little. The scene is a no-man's land; the shore is deserted, the waters are still, not a soul can be seen across the lake. The picture tells a different story to everyone who looks at it.

Hugo Simberg