Art as a Source of Horror in H. P. Lovecraft`s StoriesBečaj, Deja (Avtor) Kennedy, Victor (Mentor) H. P. LovecraftCosmic horrorWeird fictionArtRole of artH. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) is one of the most prominent horror fiction writers of all time, who is still heavily influencing many writers of weird fiction and other artists with his Cthulhu Mythos and elaboratively wordy writing style. During his studious childhood he came into acquaintance with a broad spectrum of literature and artists, with which he kept up to speed throughout his life. This knowledge in combination with profound love for architecture; paintings and sculptures of the old masters, his contemporaries but especially the romantic period, trickled significantly into his writing and built stories rich in art historical background and references to the works of art he encountered in his life. Artists, whose styles and influences are most prominent in his works are Henry Fuseli (1741–1825), Francisco Goya (1746–1828), Gustave Doré (1832–1883), Sidney Sime (1867–1941), Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898), Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947), Anthony Angarola (1893–1929) and his friend Clark Ashton Smith (1893–1961), while his inspiration for monsters and events in the stories also stem from ancient Greece and Rome, and lean on medieval art for the representations of pure carnage. The art appearing in his works can be divided into three groups: art which is a creation of the Great Old Ones – the pantheon of Lovecraftian deities; the truth-revealing creations, which expose the true nature of humans and beings portrayed in the art and art created by humans who experienced cosmic horror. Cosmic horror is the underlying concept of every story in Lovecraft’s opus. Its nihilistic stance towards humankind and exposing it to the dangers of the uncharted planes, bring out the worst fears in the readers by confronting them with the unknown. Art is in this context used as a device which can enhance the mysterious events, open the doors between what we know and what we are not supposed to know, and a tool to blame for thrusting individuals into madness or even death, which on multiple occasions seems the most merciful way out of the horrid situation.[D. Bečaj]20192019-06-23 19:20:21Magistrsko delo/naloga73865sl