Cannibals (painting)

Cannibals
Artist	Odd Nerdrum
Year	2005
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	200 cm × 250 cm (79 in × 98 in)
Location	Private collection

Cannibals is a 2005 painting by the Norwegian kitsch painter Odd Nerdrum. It depicts three men in a barren landscape, devouring the remains of a fourth man whose spine, rib cage and head lie on the ground before them. Known for his technique in the classical style and his engagement with existential themes, Nerdrum’s Cannibals explores the primal and violent aspects of human nature. The artwork employs allegory to reflect on both literal and symbolic forms of cannibalism, making it a striking commentary on human instincts and societal decay. The painting was on view at the Paul Booth Gallery in New York City from 20 April to 30 July 2016, as part of the Nerdrum exhibition Crime and Refuge.

Reception

Nerdrum’s works often provoke polarised reactions—some viewers are captivated by his technical prowess and philosophical depth, while others are disturbed by his bleak, often violent subject matter. Nevertheless, Cannibals is regarded as one of Nerdrum’s significant works from the mid-2000s, contributing to his reputation as a painter concerned with the darker aspects of human existence.

Daniel Maidman wrote in 2016 for Whitehot Magazine that "a very un-PC classical iconography of good and evil is deployed here", as the three cannibals are, "to use the appropriate nomenclature", "a cripple, a madman, and a mongoloid". At the same time, the victim's face is depicted with "the serene beauty of a fallen Siegfried, unimpressed by his humiliation, retaining a steadfast, and perhaps ultimately foolish, faith in cosmic justice". Maidman wrote: "It is a scene of squalid and pervasive evil. It is an evil in collusion with a wicked metaphysics, and therefore an evil from which there is no exit save death."

Background and context

Odd Nerdrum is a controversial figure in contemporary art, often resisting the norms of modernist abstraction in favor of a return to classical, figurative painting. His works are heavily influenced by Old Masters such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio, employing chiaroscuro and dramatic, often violent themes to evoke a sense of timelessness. Cannibals fits within Nerdrum’s larger body of work, which frequently delves into dystopian worlds, human suffering, and existential dread.

Nerdrum created Cannibals during a period when he was increasingly focused on apocalyptic and survivalist themes. This painting belongs to a series of works that depict isolated, brutal figures in barren landscapes. These settings suggest a post-civilizational world where the characters, stripped of societal constructs, revert to their most primal instincts.

Description and style

The painting, rendered in oil on canvas, measures an imposing 200 cm × 250 cm (79 in × 98 in), making it one of Nerdrum’s larger works. The composition is dense with emotion, featuring figures in a savage act of cannibalism. The central figures are naked, their flesh illuminated by stark, directional lighting, reminiscent of Baroque masterpieces. The viewer is confronted with the stark reality of human bodies in conflict—both victims and aggressors—rendered with meticulous detail in skin tones, muscle tension, and expressions of anguish.

Nerdrum’s “kitsch” approach, which he defines as focusing on emotion and storytelling rather than the avant-garde tendencies of modern art, is evident in Cannibals through the dramatic rendering of the figures and the intense emotional charge of the scene. Nerdrum’s style in Cannibals blends the technical precision of classical painting with the disturbing imagery more common to modern expressionism. His heavy use of shadow and dramatic contrasts imbues the figures with a sense of monumental tragedy, evoking the works of Caravaggio while simultaneously confronting modern existentialist themes. The setting is barren and desolate, likely symbolic of a world where civilization has collapsed, leaving only raw human behavior. He has often described his artistic philosophy as a rejection of modernism, returning instead to the human condition as it is felt and experienced on an emotional and visceral level.

Interpretation and symbolism

Nerdrum’s Cannibals can be seen as a metaphor for human self-destruction, both on a literal and figurative level. The act of cannibalism may reflect the collapse of societal norms, where survival drives humanity to its darkest instincts. At a symbolic level, the painting could critique how people in positions of power or society at large consume one another—be it through violence, exploitation, or greed.

Some interpretations align the painting with broader existentialist themes. In a world devoid of moral structures, Nerdrum’s characters reflect the absurdity of human existence, where survival eclipses humanity, and people become predators of their own kind. The barren landscape suggests an end-times scenario, heightening the painting’s commentary on the fragility of civilisation.