Heiko Mueller

"Never Wake Up"
7,8" square
oil on wood

"I'm fascinated by classical Christian motifs and always like to be inspired by the old Flemish masters. One particular topic that continues to show up in Christian painting is "The Four Last Things": Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. In this context Death is usually depicted as an ill person lying in bed with a skeletal, scythe-brandishing Grim Reaper beside him. A scary predicament – one that always reminded me of a child's fear that a monster might be lurking under the bed.

I painted this picture for an exhibition called "Don't Wake Daddy" – a title that inspired me to finally try my hand at this motif. And it occurred to me that I particularly like the idea to escape the clutches of death by only sleeping long enough."

By Heiko Mueller
www.heikomueller.de

The exhibition "Don't Wake Daddy" opens on Dec. 2nd, 8 pm, at Feinkunst Krüger, Ditmar-Koel-Str. 22, 20459 Hamburg, Germany.