This picture was commissioned by a client especially to fit into
an ornate Victorian frame for which he had no adequate picture.
The frame was in the shape of a Gothic window with an arched
top. The panel's corners were trimmed to fit into this arch.
The theme of the panel was an architectural fantasy from
Marie Corelli's ARDATH, the interior of the temple where
Lysia the snake priestess manifested her power. A huge silver,
brass and enamel snake encircled the upper dome of the
tenple which was embellished with Babylonian gods. The
architecture was derived from St. Mark's in Venice and
Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The prevailing colors are
gold, orange, and yellow with a white baldachin-temple in
the center and an archway of green laser-fire over the
central altar (as described in Corelli). Hundreds of
small figures in costumes inhabit the picture; worshippers,
priests, noblemen, and Lysia in the center. In the balconies
are friends of the artist, the artist, York, and Corelli.
Some of the balcony openings are duplicates of the frame itself.
At the bottom of the picture is a loosely painted balcony
railing with electric lanterns, made to simulate a view out
frcm one of these balcony openings. From the ceiling of the
dome two silk ribbons, one blue and one red, hang in arcs.
The mists of incense fill the scene.
In Corelli's book, this scene and temple only last for a
few more minutes after the moment of the painting, for
the temple and its pagan wickedness is blown away by a
volcanic eruption.
This painting took six weeks to complete. It was shown
at Boskone 1982. The client, a collector in Maine named
Don York, is long gone, along with this painting.
Acrylic on hardboard, 36" x 22" with frame, winter 1982. Click for
fabulous views.
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