Sunday 25 August 2013

Remnants of a mosaic

This piece is something I've been working on for the past few days and yes...it is finished! The idea behind the piece is to depict not an entire mosaic but the remains of a mosaic. The subject is the Roman god Bacchus (also Dionysus from Greek myth). I was reading about Bacchus' travels through India and came across this quote from the Latin tragedy 'Phaedra' by Seneca, 'Thou Bacchus from thysus-bearing India, with unshorn locks, perpetually young, thou who frightenest tigers with thy vine-clad spear and with a turban bindest thy horned head'. So this is my portrayal of Bacchus from that description. I used a drawing that I made a while back but which came immediately to mind as soon as I read the quote. Not only is the subject conveniently wearing a turban but I feel the character has an androgynous quality that is often associated with Bacchus/Dionysus. This piece is 30cm x 40cm.  

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