"Salam'bo" - a study of French neo-classical art by andyzomorf

After the First Punic War, Carthage is unable to fulfil promises made to its army of mercenaries, and finds itself under attack. The fictional title character, a priestess and the daughter of Hamilcar Barca, an aristocratic Carthaginian general, is the object of the obsessive lust of Matho, a leader of the mercenaries.The book draws heavily from the historical account of Polybius. Matho steals the sacred veil of Carthage, the Zaïmph, prompting Salammbô to enter the mercenaries’ camp in an attempt to steal it back. The Zaïmph is an ornate bejewelled veil draped about the statue of the goddess Tanit in the sacrosanct of her temple: the veil is the city’s guardian and touching it will bring death to the perpetrator. The story by Flaubert also links in with the romance between Massanissa, the Numidian prince and Sophonisba a Carthaginian noble lady during the Second Punic War and the deity romance of Tanit, the lunar goddess and Baal, the sun god of Carthage.

After studying the art of French interpretations from themes within Flaubert’s essay and the works of Rodin and Ferrary in particular – there is an opportunity to create a photoessay to compliment the hero and heroine study done previously with Mars and Venus.
This has great scope to add a sense of French “orientalism” and exoticism to the classical theme.

I’ve worked out nine poses which capture the savagery and exoticism of this theme and an attempt to portray them in a form of artistic expression I’m hoping to get the project off the ground towards the end of the year.

Edit": This project is about to happen-standby for the results to be portrayed within the next fortnight!