The Abduction of Persephone - Limited Edition 1 of 10 Photograph

In this image we have the classic theme of the abduction of Persephone by Hades. Persephone was the goddess of Spring and new growth, an embodiment of the fertility of youth. The story goes that Hades, the god of the Underworld, fell in love with her upon seeing her and kidnaped her to be his bride thus plunging the world into winter. What is less told in modern renderings of the story is that this made Persephone the Queen of the Dead. It is this transition, from goddess of youthful growth to that of Queen of the Underworld, that is commemorated here. I composed this picture using images cut from paper and found objects. In the lower right we have an image of an ivory sculpture by Mathias Steinl, Pluto and Proserpina, from 1644. They emerge from a black triangle which represents a gate to the Underworld. The triangle is repeated in the middle of the image, this time fashioned from a baroque picture frame. This time the triangle represents the Triangle of Manifestation used in spirit evocation. In this ornate triangle we have a face of a young woman whose eyes and the top of her head extend into a network of stylized flame or red smoke rendered in cut paper. At the top of the composition, barely noticeable behind the red flames is the face of Persephone as Queen of the Dead, dark shadows turning her face into one like a skull. Lining either side of the picture are holy leaves. The holy is an evergreen, immune from the withering effects of winter. Its leaves are stiff and sharp and act as a symbol for immortality gained from pain.

Photography:Color on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:1

Size:16 W x 20 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.