Introduction
Why do we yearn for what we cannot have?
Is it perhaps a way to validate ourselves as people, to prove that we are good enough to obtain that something?
Why do some desire those who treat them with indifference even more than normal?
Is it perhaps about abundance? Which is an eternally attractive quality. Since those who are abundant and have possibilities, but choose someone specific, that relationship is much more precious than in the case of those who have no choice. Isn’t it?
Perhaps that’s why women tend to desire men who are hard to conquer, who always do what they want and have an unwavering will. Because they are valuable in their eyes.
“Each man kills the thing he loves” by artist Doddo perfectly exemplifies this feeling of yearning.
We have as a character a gorgeous woman, elegantly arranged, who doesn’t fail to attract attention. However, she is deep in her thoughts, holds her palms on her cheeks, and looks into the distance, lost as if in a fantasy, an unattainable aspiration.
And if the mystery of her thoughts was too great, the artist helps us understand the character’s mind through the floating text.
What kind of man has marked her? Who has hurt her so much that she goes unnoticed and forgets about the present to keep thinking about him?
The answer lies in the mind of anyone who dares to discover the secret.
Interpretation of Symbols
Symbols:
- Gaze directed to the left: The woman’s gaze suggests an orientation towards the past, symbolizing memories, reflections, and regrets. The past is what brings suffering or nostalgia, and her fixed gaze gives the impression that she’s reliving an unattainable obsession.
- Palms on the cheeks: The character’s gesture is common for those in a state of contemplation. The woman appears caught in her thoughts, in a state of melancholic dreaming, contributing to a sense of emotional isolation.
- The text “Each man kills the thing he loves”: This quote, floating in the background, provides a narrative key for understanding the painting. In the context of the image, the text represents silent pain and the inevitability of being hurt by a man.
- Golden droplets: These elements create a dreamlike effect, as if the woman is lost in a space of memories, surrounded by the brilliance of illusion and vain hopes.
- Blurred background: With an almost abstract background lacking details, it emphasizes the centrality of the character, highlighting that her story is truly important. It’s also a sign that her emotions and thoughts transcend the physical world.
Evoked Feelings
The work conveys a powerful mix of melancholy, desire, and tension. The woman’s resigned expression and position suggest a feeling of loss or disappointment, but also a certain acceptance of the inevitable. There’s a tension between the visual beauty of the image and its sad message, which amplifies the emotional impact on the viewer.
Color Analysis
Colors used: Purple, Bordeaux, Cherry, Black Currant, Blood Red, Grenadine, Red Amber, Dead Leaf, Eggshell, Yellow Amber, Arsenic, Imperial Yellow, Light Brown, Flax, Papaya, Red Ochre, Oscuro, Dark Mahogany.
Color Significance:
- Red: Symbolizes passion and love, but also danger and pain. The red lips and nails draw attention to the woman’s sensuality, but also to the emotional tension she experiences. It’s a strong color that amplifies the scene’s drama.
- Cream and brown: These earthy tones suggest stability and the harsh reality of the past. The brown in the background accentuates the feeling of nostalgia and melancholy.
- Gold: The golden shine adds a note of luxury and dreaming, indicating passing hopes or lost illusions. This color, contrasting with the duller tones, symbolizes the fragile beauty of dreams, longings, and aspirations.
Together, these colors create an effect of emotional intensity and ambiguity, offering a contrast between the desire for love and inevitable suffering.
Artistic Movement
The work falls into Contemporary Figurative Art with influences from Expressionism. Expressionism is evident in how emotions are amplified through color and gestures.
The text and energetic lines are elements borrowed from street art-style graffiti or perhaps from comic art which often includes text.
And the stylized aesthetics of the character, with well-defined features and vibrant colors, are reminiscent of Pop Art, as the chosen character is often encountered in popular cultural films.
Working Style
- Technique: Layering, Glazing, Dripping, Chiaroscuro, Narrative
- Materials: Acrylic on Canvas
The artist uses a layering technique, combined with glazing to create depth and transparency in colors. The chiaroscuro elements are visible in how shadows and lights interweave on the woman’s face and body, giving it an almost sculptural aspect. The floating text adds a narrative dimension, connecting the visual with the literary message and amplifying the emotional impact of the work.
Composition
The composition of the work is dominated by the central figure of the woman, placed asymmetrically on the canvas.
The focal point is her face and melancholic expression, while the diagonal lines of the hands and gaze lead the viewer’s eyes outside the canvas, suggesting an untold story.
The weak contrast between red and earthy tones in the background merges the ornamented body with the rest of the landscape, attention going to the woman’s expressive face, thus amplifying the psychological portrait.
The space is well utilized, with a blurred background and a detailed character in the foreground, offering subtle depth.
The rhythm is created through the distribution of golden droplets and text, which adds subtle dynamism to the composition.
Associations and Inspirations
The work can be associated with contemporary painters who combine narrative with figuration, such as Jenny Saville or Lucian Freud, but also with pop art artists like Roy Lichtenstein due to the dramatic stylization and included text.
Additionally, references to the film Querelle suggest inspiration from expressionist and provocative aesthetic cinematography, especially as it is strongly inspired by the song of the same name sung by Jeanne Moreau.
Conclusion
In the end, the mastery with which the work “Each man kills the thing he loves” was created by artist Doddo, portraying the state of desire for a hard-to-conquer man, evokes tense and passionate emotions that every woman has experienced if she has felt that consuming longing for a man.
Because the painting is a symbol that invites contemplation, it creates a refined atmosphere through its intense sensuality and can encourage deep conversations, especially if placed in an area exposed to curious eyes, such as an office, living room, or meeting room.
The future owner of this piece will become a Cultural Patron who supports and promotes local values. It’s a title held by few people, but one that is highly appreciated in society.
This piece complements any refined space in which considerable investment has been made, being complementary to luxurious modern decor, which often impresses through simplicity and minimalism but does not stimulate the senses.
In most decorations, walls remain the most neglected, despite being focal points that can elevate a room and impress any guest through a carefully chosen piece.
And this happens because the selected painting represents the owner and honors them in front of others. Because paintings are among the few decorations that highlight the deep thoughts and emotions that an owner has and which, normally, must be made known through long conversations.
A well-chosen painting can do this in just a few minutes. And it can continue this task for a lifetime, even more than that, when we remember that this precious good is passed on to descendants.
And with time, the value of such an object inevitably increases. For it is a unique and inimitable piece that is in the possession of only one person, its rightful owner.
Therefore, if you feel that the work “Each man kills the thing he loves” is right for you or that it conveys to you and others the feelings with which you identify, don’t hesitate to call us to reserve it.
