Who isn’t familiar with the legendary tale of William Tell?
I thought I knew the story, but all I really remembered was he shot an arrow through an apple perched on someone’s head.
It filled my head with great imagery, so a painting followed.
Then I visited wikipedia, to learn the real story. The story of how William Tell wouldn’t bow to an Austrian overlord. How the overlord then punished him, commanding him to shoot an apple off the head of William’s son, if he refused, they both would be executed.
William Tell pierced the apple perfectly.
I don’t know how well my light-hearted painting goes with the dramatic tale, but it’s a great story anyway, and I love how Illustration Friday always stretches me in someway, and I always seem to learn something new.
Now that you mention, I recall this whole story too. And though this painting is luminous (love love love the green grass and the orange hair), I'm not exactly sure I'd call it light-hearted. Those pine trees in the background and very dark and heavy, making me feel a kind of dread about the whole thing. William's face is calm--he must be trusting his father, but the only part of him that's really alive is his hair, so it's like he's aware that he father could miss and he'd die too.
ReplyDeleteWay cool illustration!
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDelete...again I enjoy very much opening and reading your wonderful blog.
What a nice piece of art, again and again... I still ponder about writing you a longer mail, but it'll take a bit more time.
Wilhelm Tell - William T. - Friedrich Schiller wrote the drama that you mention.
But there is a little misunderstanding - he would not use the second arrow to kill "himself", but to kill the "Governor Gessler", who had forced him to shoot at the apple on his own son's head, which he did and successfully shot to the core without harming his son.
Here I quote the text:
ROSSELMANN.
Come, to the mother let us bear her son!
GESSLER.
A word, Tell.
[They are about to lead him off.
TELL.
Sir, your pleasure?
GESSLER.
Thou didst place
A second arrow in thy belt--nay, nay!
I saw it well--what was thy purpose with it?
TELL (confused).
It is the custom with all archers, sir.
GESSLER.
No, Tell, I cannot let that answer pass.
There was some other motive, well I know.
Frankly and cheerfully confess the truth;--
Whate'er it be I promise thee thy life,
Wherefore the second arrow?
TELL.
Well, my lord,
Since you have promised not to take my life,
I will, without reserve, declare the truth.
[He draws the arrow from his belt, and fixes his eyes
sternly upon the governor.
If that my hand had struck my darling child,
This second arrow I had aimed at you,
And, be assured, I should not then have missed.
Nice greetings from
Germany
Gabriele
It is beautiful! You just get better and better!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteVery good. I love this story, too. the way I heard it, the second arrow was for the evil overlord...no matter to any retribution from killing the overlord if he no longer had his son.
I do like the dark trees. If you ever listen to the whole of the "William Tell overture" (not just the do-da-dump, do-da-dump, do-da-dump, dump dump...lone rangers bit) There is a part where William Tell and son are being chased through the dark forests of Bavaria.
Sandy in the UK
Sandy and Gabriele,
ReplyDeleteYou are both right, the second arrow was for the lord, Gessler. I read the story very late last night and misunderstood wikipedia's version.
Perhaps I infused what I would have done if I had missed...
I like it!
ReplyDeletewondering, though, how he would use the arrow on himself....
I only claimed to be inspired by the tale, it's not a direct representation :) in fact the figure is alot ambiguous, it could be male or female...
ReplyDeletecanngil,
ReplyDeleteI STILL must be tired! i just reread your comment and yeah, that would be a bit difficult.
this is all so confusing, good thing i'm a painter and not a writer :)
Very creative! I agree with you about IF. It is challenging.
ReplyDeleteGreat take on the legendary Wm. Tell!
ReplyDeleteLovely work !!!
ReplyDeleteI adore your style :)
Great take on this legend, Sarah! Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteSehr schöne Illustration!
ReplyDeleteVery nice illustration!
wow very nice technique and topic!
ReplyDelete