The Hideous Phantasm

The title of my new piece was taken from Mary Shelley’s introduction to the 1831 edition of Frankenstein.

I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some terrible engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy , half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world. — Mary Shelley

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Frankenstein, particularly the indelible images of Victor Frankenstein and the monster in the arctic, hence the setting for this piece. THE HIDEOUS PHANTASM is not an illustration of those scenes but a personal image riffing on those ideas.

I did this drawing with a .18 technical pen on Arches hotpress paper.

I hope you like it!

Richard