Fleurs du Mal

For the next piece, I decided to continue the visualised perfume idea on, this time with a skull as a representative symbol. Death is one of the central themes of Les Fleurs du Mal, often controversially combined in the texts with the other taboo of sex, such as in Une Charogne (A Carcass) and Le Vampire. I took the same approach of a basic pencil drawing as a guide for watercolours.

I was pleased with the outcome with the skull, although the scent detail went darker and muddier than planned, which unfortunately was irreversible. Achieving the subtlety of the first perfume depiction is difficult, one brush-stroke 'too far' and not much can be done. I was trying to achieve a more acrid look with the colours for this version, the darkness of them likely causing the problem. I'm still happy with the result, though it could definitely have gone better. 

For the next piece, I chose to represent Satan, who is mentioned along with other Demons and references to Hell throughout the works. The following line, extracted from one of the introductory poems, reflects Baudelaire's exalting of 'sinful', decadent behaviour and thinking in the rest of the poems; 'The Devil holds the strings which move us!'

I feel this piece was successful, despite the challenge presented by a relatively difficult subject to draw.