The Parcae: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos Spinning the Thread of Life

1808

From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst

Dominant colour

The Parcae: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos Spinning the Thread of Life is a 1808 by Unknown artist, a Romanticism work, held at Statens Museum for Kunst.

Who painted this?: Unknown artist
When & what style?: 1808 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Statens Museum for Kunst

About this work

This painting shows four figures in a dim room. A woman in a blue dress sits on a stool, holding a long pole with a spool of thread. Three others—two men and a woman—stand or kneel around her, watching closely. The lighting is soft, with shadows making the scene feel quiet and serious. The woman on the stool looks like she’s controlling the thread, while the others seem to be waiting or helping. The dark background makes the figures stand out, and the colors are mostly muted except for the blue dress. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.

About the artist

Artist

Unknown artist

Xun Xu (c. 221 – 289), courtesy name Gongzeng, was a Chinese musician, painter, politician, and writer who lived during the late Three Kingdoms period and early Jin dynasty of China. Born in the influential Xun family,…

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