Perdu – forgotten, out of sight, French

The painting is about aging and lost beauty (not just physical beauty), which only continues to exist in our memories and thoughts.

It has been inspired by the three fates from Norse mythology: Wyrd, Skuld and Verdandi. Their Roman equivalents are the Parcea: Nona, Decima and Morta. In Greek mythology they are know as the Moirae: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.

All three mythologies agree that one of the three fates would spin the thread, the other would measure it and the last one would cut it, measuring out the fates.

The two birds are Odin’s ravens, Memory and Thought.

The tree necklace pendant is meant to represent Yggdrasil – the world ash of Norse mythology.

The spindle, a tape measure with a Greek reference (alpha for the beginning of a life and omega for the ending of a life) and the scissors used to cut the thread. The scissors are based on a design from the T’ang dynasty.

Although not that many people still know much about the three fates, I’ve always been fascinated by them and some authors are too: Stephen King’s Insomnia and Robin Jarvis’ Wyrd Museum trilogy. I am sure there are others.

The patterns used on the wallpaper and the camisole are created by me. The leaves are my own photographs edited and used to frame the image.

Detail images are available on my blog: Click here

221 views to date.