At its core, “Frankenstein” is not a pretty story, and new artwork on display in Fort Hunt doesn’t shy away from highlighting the darker, uglier side of the groundbreaking novel.
A new exhibit at the Nepenthe Gallery and Frame Shop at 7918 Fort Hunt Road shows off the artwork in a new, illustrated edition of “Frankenstein” from publisher Bond & Grace.
The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Artist Michele Gagliano was brought onto the project after creating an illustrated edition of Dante’s Inferno.
“I didn’t want it to be pretty,” Gagliano said, “I wanted it to be raw and tell the story.”
Gagliano, who is also working on a project at Raphael’s home in Urbino, said she wanted the artwork to feel as tactile as the descriptions in the book.
“I decided with illustrating Frankenstein that I wanted this to be very raw because this story is raw,” Gagliano said. “It’s not pretty … I used rusted metal for the introduction because it’s cold; you think of the rivets and the monster.”
Gagliano said she was also inspired by learning more about Frankenstein author Mary Shelley’s life.
“Her story is as fascinating, if not more, than what she brought to the table with Frankenstein,” she wrote. “The amount of angst and grief and mourning that she went through by the time she wrote this, it’s very impactful and tender.”
Gagliano’s “Frankenstein” work previously went on display at a pop-up in Alexandria before arriving at the Nepenthe Gallery, which features local, national and international artists as well as works from founders Carrie and Jim Holland’s private family art collection.
