Festival of Panathenaea

Well, here is the great unveiling. For the past many months, this 30×30 stretch of canvas has been my labor of love.  After much research into topics for use as a theme, the Festival of Panathenaea became an easy choice because the possibilities for subject matter were so colorful, plentiful, and titillating.

As mentioned before,  the hemlock blossom is suggested on the surface of the cloth and is brilliant white and replicates the dazzling light of the Greek sun. All subject matter is from 5th century BCE, the Golden Age of Greek history. Pomegranates, olives and branches, grapes, figs, marble tabletop, Socrates, and poppies are all included. Shown on the white ground vase at the right is a figure of a man playing the kithara, an ancient instrument of the lyre family.

In the background is a tapestry-like replica of the magnificent scene painted by John Singer Sargent in his rotunda murals at the Boston Museum of Fine Art called Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture Protected by Athena from the Ravages of Time. 

So, do you agree that many more paintings could be created using this theme? What would you like to explore from this time in Ancient Greece? I am itching to go there someday to study the culture and pigments and just keep painting forever.