Funerary

Denial.
.

I painted this as an ex-voto in memory of the man who had been my novice master in the monastery. He died several years ago now. My inspiration was a funerary fresco from ancient Pompeii - hence the shrouded mourner in the lower corner. The winged man is the Roman God Dionysus. The torch represents the false light of the world. The empty cowl illustrates his abandoned vocation, and the naked man is the dead monk.

.

I later destroyed the canvas after the monastery denied the circumstances of the monk's death.