Love Shrinking Affrighted at the Sight of Hell 1883 - 1884

Elihu Vedder's "Love Shrinking Affrighted at the Sight of Hell" (1883-1884) is a striking depiction of an angel, wings outstretched, fleeing a scene of torment. The angel's body is contorted, its face obscured by a hand, suggesting fear and disgust. Beneath, a writhing mass of contorted faces represents the "hell" that the angel is escaping. Vedder uses the text included in the artwork to emphasize the thematic concept of love's reaction to the horrors of hell. This work is a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of love and its relationship to suffering, a subject that fascinated Vedder throughout his career.