Pandora
There is a woman and a box. She is curious. It is closed. Is it a gift? An honor? A secret? She recognizes temptation when she sees it. Sky, pastel mirage. Ground, confetti color. Only her dress, statuesque form, Grecian face and hair are representational of what we might call real. But she is flat. Fresco on a wall. Poster in a spa. Only sloped neck, focused gaze, and the way she cradles the box in her arm reveal character. The box itself the jewel, whether a jewel inhabits that square space or not. She wonders what to do, thinks, Maybe mystery is more valuable than knowing. Then she thinks again.
Next week I will post the last of my year's worth of Art & Soul Shorts. Then I’ll be taking a break before starting an entirely new bi-weekly blog approach. More to come about that....
Thank you for joining me here!
Pandora. Odilon Redon (French, 1840 – 1916). 1910/1912. Oil on canvas. 143.5 x 62.9 cm (56 1/2 x 24 3/4 in.).Chester Dale Collection. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington