This original oil painting on canvas is a self-portrait of the artist in
transition between Texas and Tuscany, as the butterfly of Michelangelo.
Using the Greek myth of Persephone, the painting tells of half of the
year in Texas and half of the year in Italy, a cycle that went on for
several years. The myth explains the seasons, but it is also an
interesting capture of the struggle of a woman between her birth family
and her adult one.
When you stand back, you may notice the shape of a butterfly. It is, in fact, an architectural design by Michelangelo for the Porta al Prato in Florence, Italy (never realized). Butterflies often symbolize transitions or change. Michelangelo's works were the reason the artist visited and returned to Italy again and again. Thus, he was her Narcissus flower (see the Greek myth story below).
Another nod to the great artist is Michelangelo's
famous staircase in The Laurentian Library (
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana.)
It is near the church of San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy, and was, along
with other architectural designs, the artist's inventive break with
tradition.
The Myth:
The Greek myth of Persephone is a way to explain the seasons on Earth. For purposes of this original oil painting by Kelly Borsheim, the relevant parts of the story are that Persephone was the daughter of the god Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility.
One day the mother and daughter were enjoying time in a garden, when Persephone saw the most enchanting narcissus flower. While she bent down for a better look and a sniff, Hades,
the god of the Underworld, opened up a crack in the Earth and abducted
the young maiden to be his wife, without her mother's knowledge or
acceptance. The Earth closed up so quickly again that Persephone's mother had no idea to where Persephone had vanished, until Helios, the sun God who sees all, told Demeter what happened.
In the end of an interesting discourse among the gods, Zeus declared that Persephone must remain half of the year with her husband Hades (brother of Zeus), and the other half in Olympus with her mother. The transition periods are our spring and autumn.
This original figurative oil painting is framed with a light green wood frame and white wood "mat". There are hooks at each end on the top for hanging.
