Markus Hoffmann-Achenbach - gefallener engel.

Artist: Markus Hoffmann-Achenbach
Title: Fallen Angel. (From the series Himmel und Hölle)
Dimensions: 40 cm x 40 cm x 2 cm
Material: acrylic, collage on canvas
Signature: With date and title on the back side.

The art series 'Heaven and Hell' by Markus Hoffmann-Achenbach is a visual reinterpretation of John Milton's epochal epic Paradise Lost — not as an illustration, but as an existential continuation. While Milton encapsulated the cosmic fall of Lucifer, the loss of Paradise, and the ambivalence of free will in language, Hoffmann-Achenbach translates these questions into a contemporary visual language of extraordinary emotional and symbolic density.

The series deliberately navigates the tension between transcendence and corporeality, order and chaos, guilt and insight. Heaven and hell are not depicted as fixed places but as internal states of the human being — fluid, unstable, constantly shifting into one another. It is precisely here that Hoffmann-Achenbach begins, using Milton's dictum 'The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven' as the guiding conceptual principle.

The works in the series are characterized by layered visual spaces: acrylic, collage elements, fragmented figuration, and symbolic signs overlap. Light areas—often in bright, almost otherworldly color fields—stand in radical contrast to dark, eruptive zones. This polarity creates a constant tension that forces the viewer not only to see the image but to experience it.

This series marks a conceptual pinnacle in the work of Markus Hoffmann-Achenbach. It combines literary depth, art historical references, and a distinctive contemporary visual language. For collectors, the works are particularly attractive, as they function both as strong autonomous pieces individually and, within the series context, unfold an epic, almost museological effect.

'Himmel und Hölle' is not a series for casual viewing — but for collectors who see art as a mental challenge and a long-term investment.