The work is a triptych. The two outer panels have a size of 150x100 cm, the middle one measures 200x150 cm.
It is a very personal work in which many symbols (personal and mythological) have gone into it. It is also the first work in which the artist can be seen naked. It represents an allegory of love and the connection between nature and femininity. It begins on the left with Peitho, who is associated with seduction and unrequited love. In the middle part is Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and the three graces. Aphrodite lies on a turtle, which is assigned to her suite. The goddess of love is arranged in the center, as is traditionally done on triptychs. Flora follows on the right, inspired by Botticelli's 'Spring'. Not remote, however, but present and strong. It fixes the viewer provocatively. Just like Peitho, who is the artist herself.
The examination of my own body and questions about my own sexuality and love served as inspiration. So far I had only painted other women naked. The step of creating a work with myself was a logical consequence and a necessary step for me, but I wanted to integrate it into a work that can stand on its own but also stands in a context. The work is particularly representative because it shows a spectrum or a development.
My love for portraying skin and women. Women with different body shapes and not according to a classic ideal of beauty, strength and vulnerability as well as the connection to nature and Greek mythology. Things that have fascinated me since I was young.
Women consciously have pubic and armpit hair. Pubic hair has often been left out in art history as it has been associated with female lust. The scandals surrounding Goya's Naked Maya, Courbet's Origin of the World or Modigliani's Reclining Nude on a White Pillow are evidence of this. Throughout history women have been denied a feeling of pleasure and in some cases this is still the case today. It shouldn't be shocking to show this openly. More likely that there is still an imbalance between the sexes.
