The death of Beowulf

The Death of Beowulf

Etching with aquatint and monoprint

This is an illustration for the last part of the story of Beowulf, in which he dies in battle with a dragon after his sword breaks and he is abandoned by all of his thegns except for the loyal Wiglaf. I didn't want to draw Beowulf himself, so the death is alluded to only by the broken sword and the monoprinted "bloody" texture (basically just a heavy, broken plate tone).

I didn't give the great serpent any legs or wings because they got in the way of the smooth knotted spiral I wanted.