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thesurreal:

Hell’s Firstborn : Inferno No. 5 : Wayne Barlowe

Hell’s Firstborn - (from Barlowe’s Inferno, acrylic on panel) - A giant Abyssal stands upon a scalding field outside the walls of Adamantinarx. Sharing the world of Hell, the demons and Abyssals co-exist in an uneasy relationship with both sides preying upon each other. There is, however, an odd mutual respect between them. Hunted for their skins and their usefulness as war-beasts, many Abyssals evoke an attitude of savage respect from the demons, while, for their part, the more intelligent of the Abyssals keep their distance, understanding the innate superiority of the new-comers. This understanding doesn’t inhibit the native creatures one bit if the opportunity arises to waylay a group of demons that might have lost their way in the wild Wastes.

The notion of a pre-existing fauna indigenous to Hell before the demons arrived opens up a whole line of conjecture. What would their evolutionary course be? What new life-forms could we find? While this painting represents a semi-intelligent individual, there must be countless Abyssals that are mere animals. Much as I did with EXPEDITION, I plan to do a series of wildlife paintings focusing on the fauna of Hell. One is underway as I write this.

barlowe’s inferno, a complete chance find at powells, is one of my favorite books.  which is good, because i could sell it off for probably $150, but have no intention of ever doing so.  same with barlowe’s expedition, which ranks (and sells for) slightly higher.

the books are full of fascinating and esoteric ideas, but this image and the backstory behind it, of creatures living in hell before it was colonized by lucifer and his fellows, is one of the most enthralling ideas i’ve ever come across.