 |
A MONK WITH A RED BIRD
Oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches, 1988
(Private collection, Longwood, Florida)
|
This painting was created after the artist's return from a trip down the Danube river from Vienna to the Black Sea. During the trip, the guides often asked the passengers on which side of the river a castle or a mountain would be, just to contradict their expectations because the river meandered. The idea of twisting river was combined with information about Byzantine stylites--ascetics who spent their lives sitting on pillars--and with the personal observations which confirmed that many castles and churches were built on tops of mountains, in seemingly unreachable places. The result was a painting related to Eastern Orthodoxy because both the monk and the monasteries on the tops of the mountains are Byzantine. Of particular importance was the face of the monk, designed to resemble faces on frescoes and icons, but also showing a slightly different modeling and overall style. The hands of the monk were presented in a much more realistic way than hands of saints in icon painting. Finally, to add a strong accent to the composition, the red bird (quite imaginary in appearance) landed on the hand of the monk.
 |
 |
 |
 |