I lock the Door upon Myself by Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921). 1891. Oil on canvas, 72 x 140 cm. Bavarian Museum, Munich.
The element of perversity in Khnopff's work is very marked — and has one strange characteristic of its own, in that the feminine types he used in his compositions all seem to be based upon his sister, whose beauty obsessed him. Dumont-Wilden gives an eloquent description of the kind of emotion Khnopff tries to convey, speaking of 'these feminine physiognomies, at the same time energetic and languid. — Edward Lucie-Smith (122)
Bibliography
Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921). Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2004. no. 44.
Lucie-Smith, Edward, Philippe. Symbolist Art. Trans. Mary Ann Stevens. London: Thames and Hudson, 1972.
Last modified 14 November 2005