Andrew Carter’s Lectures:
Alfred Rethel’s Nemesis
Nemesis, Alfred Rethel (1816-1859)
She floats in the air, radiant, her white wings unfurled. At first, you might think she’s a guardian angel. Then other details catch your eye. The sword at her side. The hourglass in her hand. And the man running away from her, too terrified to look over his shoulder.
This divine creature is Nemesis, the Greek goddess of vengeful fate. And the man fleeing from her has just killed the shadowy figure in the background.
The murderer hoped that by slaying the man in a desolate spot, he would elude detection. But nothing escapes Nemesis (from the Greek rhamnousia, “to give what is due”). She is always watching, ready to strike down those who commit crimes that might otherwise go unpunished. The hourglass in her hand is telling the murderer that his time is up. Even before the blood of his victim is dry.
Other artists have depicted this terrible goddess, but failed to capture her dreadful glory. Pierre-Paul Prud’hon painted a similar scene, but the differences between the two works is striking.
Justice and Divine Vengeance Pursuing A Crime, Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (1808)
Prud’hon’s canvas is overpopulated, with the victim luridly splayed on the ground. The murderer is exposed not by the goddess (who has a feeble torch in her hand), but by the bright moonlight.
In Alfred Rethel’s version, the light emanates from the goddess herself. Her glow exposes the murderer, despite his best efforts to conceal the crime.
Rethel’s Nemesis: Close-Up Detail
Rethel’s glowing goddess was believed to be the result of a head injury he received as a child (one that also gave him debilitating headaches). Most of his brief life was spent hovering between madness and sanity. He channeled his misery into his art , producing a series of works that both entranced and disturbed.
But Nemesis was unique among his work. The power of the painting seems to extend beyond the canvas. Rumor has it when faced with the goddess’ unnerving presence, people begin to feel uneasy. They feel haunted by the spectral figure. Some report hearing the rustle of her robe behind them. And rather than face her terrible judgement, people reveal their darkest, most hidden secrets.
The most famous story took place in Germany, where a person of high rank won Nemesis in a lottery. This person committed a killing that went undetected (and unpunished) for years.
One look at the painting and the man went mad.
He confessed to his crime.
And who wouldn’t, with Divine Vengeance looming over your shoulder?