Devil's Foot

1989-1990, tempera, watercolour on paper, 27x19,6 cm /// Kārlis Dobrājs (1943) is one of the classics of Latvian painting. The series of drawings was commissioned for the book “Vēja Vanadziņš” (“Windy Accipiter”, 1993). It compiles a selection of artistic representations of Latvian legends and tales, with a visually depicted narrative of the stories themselves. The coloured, hand-drawn illustrations are original works, with each being a one-of-a-kind piece. The illustration reflects a legend about a very rich landlord who promised to sell his soul to the Devil for wealth. When the landlord tried to deceive the Devil, the Devil strangled him, taking all the landlord's wealth and the promised soul. When the devil carried away his soul and money, to keep it under a stone, Devil left his footprint on the stone. This folktale is educational because it condemns dishonesty, deception, and breaking a promise. Also, the legend reflects the ethnopsychological relationship of the Latvian people with money - that richness is not good.