PROSPERO
20x16, oil on panel
$4500.
This is my version
of the magician Prospero from W. Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
The play mentions Prospero’s magic cape, which I decided to use as
the central focus of the painting-covering it with various natural and
heraldic motifs. I have surrounded Prospero with various objects concerned
with learning and magic. Because music plays a big part in the drama I
also included musical instruments. Prospero is summoning his captive spirit
Ariel who can assume any shape. I have shown him as a flowing light
sphere above Prospero’s hand. On the floor is a large book-the book
of Prospero’s magic-St. George and the dragon can be seen on the
left page-Shakespeare’s birth and death dates are conventionally
observed on April 23rd-St. George’s day. Outside the window can be
seen a small beach which will soon be the arrival spot of the ship-wrecked
visitors to Prospero’s magic isle who create the action of the play.