Loki and Sigyn
1901
In this dramatic 1901 illustration, Arthur Rackham brings Norse mythology to life with his signature intricate lines. We see the trickster god Loki, bound in chains to a jagged rock, his face twisted in agony as venom drips from a massive serpent above. His faithful wife, Sigyn, kneels beside him, desperately holding a bowl to catch the toxic drops before they hit his face. According to the myth, whenever Sigyn has to leave to empty the bowl, the venom burns Loki, causing his thrashing to create earthquakes on Earth. Rackham, a master of the Art Nouveau style, uses swirling, organic forms—like the snake's coils and the flowing drapery—to create a sense of chaotic movement and tension that perfectly captures this moment of eternal torment.