The Queen of the Night (Morfydd Clark) - 2023

In 1791, Mozart composed his most famous opera (based on a story by Schikaneder): The Magic Flute. It is a fantasy story, with a prince in love, a colorful birdcatcher, a princess, a giant snake and a powerful magician. But the main antagonist is the princess's mother: The Queen of the Night.
Singing a promise of revenge, she hands her daughter a dagger and orders her to kill the magician Sarastro.

Having listened to this classic aria since I was little, I decided to illustrate my own Queen of the Night, largely inspired by Diana Damrau's performance in a version of the opera produced in 2003, but a little more demonic. This is also an illustration for my own little novel 'That Night at Whimsy Hotel' which I recently published the poster. THIS Queen of the Night makes an appearance there.