Valhalla

In short, Valhalla, according to Norse mythology, was the great golden hall where the Valkyries (female beings in the service of Odin) brought warriors who had fallen heroically in battle into Odin’s presence.

In my interpretation, the fallen warrior at the center of the scene kneels before his own spiritual essence (the fairy-like Valkyrie), who welcomes him into a celestial metamorphosis.

Behind the warrior, left “behind” in a literal sense, there is a grey figure covering its face with its hands: it represents Despair (the only rational figure in the painting).

The scene unfolds along a horizontal line across the center, to be read from left to right: “Despair” is left behind, consumed by earthly existence; at the center, the warrior represents the present and awaits reunion with his essence, which appears before him in the form of a fairy-like Valkyrie.

Meanwhile, Valkyries float around like guiding angels.

One final note: there is no preparatory sketch for this painting—it was created instinctively on the canvas, starting from the lower part and building the figures upward.