the mythos series

Mythos addresses the many wonderful ways in which myths form narratives. Mythologies use bold imagery and symbols that make them memorable. There’s nearly always some character development, and that all resonate with us. Certainly, myths have captured the public imagination throughout the ages.

As a series of paintings, Mythos fuses the oft vilified genre of history painting and contemporary figuration.

On this site you can view the paintings from this cycle of work and some limited editions.

Many painters have drawn inspiration from Greek, Roman, Slav and Norse mythologies. Even Muchas cycle of the Slav Epic could arguably fall into that category. Interestingly though, it all got a really bad reputation after art historians sided with the impressionists against French academic art. The academicians were part of the establishment and happened to be very fond of painting big mythologial- plus historic events. As an artist there was a hierarchy of sorts. History painting was at the top, portraiture next, then narrative figurative art, landscapes, still life; and equine and canine art.

Having said all this, I am neither an impressionist nor an art historian with received wisdom. My paintings are more close ups. They are painted in our age in a contemporary way using the latest materials. The works do not show as much flesh and drapery as the old genre did, and it focuses more on one character at a time. To me at least, it is more important to convey the psychological make up of the character than what s(he) does in relation to others in some grand composition.