Fate, love and death – Charles Blackman’s ‘Longing Sounds – Orpheus’ tells the tragic tale of Orpheus, an ancient Greek myth and film by Jean Cocteau. It is a story about love and loss, centred around Orpheus, a figure with miraculous musical ability who falls in love with Eurydice. After they wed Eurydice is bitten by a snake and banished to the land of death.

Overcome with grief, Orpheus ventures into the underworld to plead for her life. He plays music to disarm the ferryman and three-headed dog standing guard to reach the King of Underworld, Hades. Charmed by his music, Hades agrees to release Eurydice on one condition: as they exit, Orpheus must not look back. As he and Eurydice ascend the stairs, the sun bursts into view. Struck by its beauty, Orpheus turns to share the moment with his love, in turn betraying Hades’ condition and condemning Eurydice. 

In ‘Longing Sounds – Orpheus’, Blackman draws upon these feelings. A face appears forlorn behind a lyre, its strings like jail bars. Evoking despair, passion and futility, perhaps Blackman recognised the fated muse in himself as he too was a fated romantic. This richly coloured work is for collectors of Blackman and modernist works on paper.

Charles BLACKMAN (1928 - 2018)
'Longing Sounds - Orpheus Suite' 1983
screenprint on paper
Image Size: 54 x 41 cm
Dimensions: 71 x 50 cm
Signed: Signed Charles Blackman in margin
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Embossed with King Studios seal lower left. Developed with Charles Blackman, Nadine Amadio and Malcolm King; printed on 310g Fabriano Rosaspina cotton rag paper with Matisse M22 Medium and Matisse structure acrylic paint on gesso primed paper.
Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) Charles Blackman / Copyright Agency