Beschrijving
The Devil’s Portrait. A painter is ordered by his master (the king) to paint a portrait of the devil. As he has never seen the devil, he does not know how to paint him. Then the devil appears and assists by showing himself (the painter paints the picture in the steam-bath, he paints only single parts, the devil presents himself only one part at a time). The painter does not look at the finished portrait (may not look at it). When his master looks at it, he dies (all those in the palace who look at it are frightened and flee or die, the king does not die).
In a German variant a rich farmer orders a poor painter to paint the devil and offers him his farm as payment. The painter is worried because he does not know what the devil looks like. On the third night his guardian angel appears and tells him he should close his eyes and paint single parts on a paper roll. Every section should be rolled up immediately. He should never look at it and should burn it after the farmer sees it. When the farmer looks at the painting, he dies, and the painter becomes the owner of the farm.
In a German variant a rich farmer orders a poor painter to paint the devil and offers him his farm as payment. The painter is worried because he does not know what the devil looks like. On the third night his guardian angel appears and tells him he should close his eyes and paint single parts on a paper roll. Every section should be rolled up immediately. He should never look at it and should burn it after the farmer sees it. When the farmer looks at the painting, he dies, and the painter becomes the owner of the farm.
Motief
V29.8
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
819*
Subgenre
sprookje