"The mermaid of the Laudach Lake" - Original Painting

ORIGINAL ARTWORK
Artist - Stella Löninger
Title - "Mermaid of the Laudach Lake
Size - 60 by 70 cm | 23 by 27 in
Medium - Mixed Media on Canvas
The mermaid's tail is painted with 23 carat gold leaf

This original painting is 60 cm by 70 cm in size and painted on canvas. Provided with a protective layer (varnish) to maintain the color brilliance.
 
Arrives with a signed certificate of authenticity, love note and a gift from the studio.
 
Inspired by an old fairytail of my homeland, the area around Gmunden (Austria) I painted this melancholy looking mermaid sitting on a rock and watching water and time both flowing.The lake really exists in my area, it's a mountain lake and the legend says that a giant fell in love with the mermaid living in this lake. Her hair was silver blond and he loved her so much that he asked a mountain witch to turn him into a handsome prince. Before she granted him his wish he built with his giant hands a beautiful castle in the lake for her to live in it with him. The giant was turned into a prince and married the mermaid and they lived happily for a long time. But after a while the mermaid was longing for the lake and the water and became really sick. She faded away as her nature was to swim freely and not to live surrounded by stones on the surface. The giant was so sad that he turned back into his real shape and died from a broken heart. His face is still noticable in the mountain's profile above the castle he built for his love.I found this legend so heartbreaking but yet so inspiring that I had to paint the mermaid sitting on a rock where a river flows into the mountain lake in an autumn landscape symbolizing the end of her life and her love.

© 2021 Stella Löninger