HR Giger's Necronom IV (1976) references Francisco Goya's "Saturn devouring his son" (1819–1823)?


leading from
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HR Giger: Development of Necronom IV via Goya's "Saturn eating his son" via Alice and the flamingo from Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland (Published 1865) by John Tenniel and the cover of Pink Panther #13?
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a) I looked at the Moebius illustration for a Temps Futurs catalogue and realised that it referenced Goya's "Saturn devouring his son" (1819–1823) (See: Illustration of the Arzach character on the cover of Temps Futurs (1976) by Moebius references "Saturn devouring his son" (1819–1823) by Francisco Goya ?) and had various features in common with Giger's Necronom IV (it would help if it was based on Giger's painting) and then I realised that there ought to be a connection between Giger's painting and the Goya. 

One thing to point out might be the light and dark tones but there seem to be connections with the shapes and forms.

b) Matt Domino wrote in an article for "The Nightmarish Works of H.R. Giger, the Artist behind “Alien”" that "The xenomorph is like Francisco Goya’s Saturn from Saturn Devouring His Son come to life, but as an alien from the furthest, most despairing reaches of space." (https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-nightmarish-works-hr-giger-artist-alien) and well I'm possibly finding a direct connection between that Goya painting and elements of Giger's Necronom IV, and the latter work was the main source of inspiration for the alien beast, so that might be interesting to think about


Francisco Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son"



c) The body of the son being devoured and it's equivalent position in Necronom IV



d) the arm being devoured by Saturn become the eye like form at the side that's a drooping pipe




e) The son's buttocks become the shoulder and division between the legs become the line going down the side of the body


f) The bent arm with the shadowy space in the angle between the upper and lower arm becomes the upper appendage at the back of the Necronom beast


1 comment:

  1. Added "HR Giger: Necronom IV (1976) references Francisco Goya's "Saturn Devouring his son" (1819–1823)?" on 23rd August 2019

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