I finally fought my way through the clutter in my studio to find my copy of ARDATH. This is the edition I spent a whopping 25 cents for back in 1969. I opened it and tried to read it, but was overwhelmed by a foul, mold-ridden stench that went up my nose and would not leave. Whew! I had expected decay, but not an odoriferous decay. Not only that, but the yellowing of the paper and the tiny original type convinced me, if I needed convincing, that I would not be working with the original book.
This is my rendering of Lysia's play-dome, the Pantheon of Pleasure. I remember creating this in an improvised art studio at my parents' house. Despite the abundance of detail, the original painting is only about 14" x 11". It's based on drawings I did when I was in Rome, some of which you have seen here. I've given this image a relatively higher resolution so you can peruse all the characters and details of the party palace.
Ink and watercolor on Canson sketch paper, about 14" x 11", November 1976. Please click on the image to visit Ardath's phantasie.
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