V. | The Nightmare (1781)

The Nightmare is an oil painting by the artist Henry Fuseli. It might be one of the most recreated paintings in films, especially within the horror genre. However, the specific tableau vivant I chose to write about is the one in the film Frankenstein (1931), directed by James Whale.

It might not be the most detail-oriented recreation of this painting. Still, I think using it in this particular film makes it more meaningful since the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, probably took the inspiration for the scene where The Creature kills Victor's wife, Elizabeth, from this painting since she was familiar with Henry Fuseli. While in the film, Elizabeth is not killed but collapsed, in both the painting and the tableau vivant, the main subject is lifelessly lying on a bed while their heads, arms, and hairs are hanging down. They also share similar costumes. 

What is missing in this tableau vivant is the incubus and the horse in the painting. Their equivalent might be The Creature, who is farther away from the female figure rather than being at the top of her.

It can be discussed that both the painting and the scene depict a dream-like state. This can also be mentioned with how the dreams and the nightmares have an essential part in the story of Frankenstein, and with using The Nightmare as an inspiration, this importance might be highlighted once again.