The beautiful and the sinister: an illustrated interpretation

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of the sinister (Unheimlich) through the theories of Sigmund Freud, Eugenio Trías, and Pablo Oyarzún, focusing on the relationship between beauty and hidden disturbance. The analysis examines how the coexistence of the animate and the inanimate creates uncertainty and discomfort within an apparently familiar birthday scene interrupted by the presence of a monstrous figure. The artwork reveals how the sinister emerges when the hidden breaks into everyday reality, transforming beauty into an unsettling experience.