Figs from the Pharaoh

Figs from the Pharaoh

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10×11 Oil on Linen

© Margret E. Short, OPA, AWA , 2009

Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb  

Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon

  September & October 2009

This small format painting is the second in the series. Figs from the Pharaoh is symbolic of the offerings to the gods found in the tombs of the pharaohs. The black figs to the right of the vase are representative of the most common fig, ficus carica. A dark madder along with black were employed here for simulating the colors of the natural fig. Small peaches to the left were created using typical colors from the tombs and temples, mostly yellow ochre, red iron oxide, madder, black, and white.

The hydrangeas are from my garden and they are my offering to the ancient pharaohs. These splendid flowers were perfect foils for azurite, and my personal favorite, Egyptian blue frit. The green of the leaves remain the most difficult to portray. Malachite is a beautiful color as it stands alone but it is extremely unsaturated, meaning it has no power and must be heightened with Egyptian blue or azurite with an addition of yellow ochre.

One quite lovely quote comes from the Book of the Dead telling the importance of figs to the ancient culture, Knowing the Souls of the East,

“I know the two turquoise sycamores where Rê leaves; they guard the Heights-of-Chou, (ancient Atlantian names!); this is the door of the Lord of the East, by which Rê-Horakhty, the star of the morning, leaves.”

Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon