Arno Carstens - Dreamstate (2021)

This painting was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's “The Wild Swans".

In the tale, princess Elisa has eleven brothers who are turned into swans by their wicked stepmother. They can only return to their human form for brief periods. To break the curse, Elisa must weave shirts from nettles and not speak a word until the task is completed. However, the king misunderstands her silence and accuses her of sorcery, leading to a trial. Eventually, Elisa completes the shirts, and her brothers are restored.