| THE PILGRIM Oil on canvas, 82 x 57 in. and also as an Archival print available in multiple sizes |
The burdened traveler is all of us with
our roads to travel and our loads to
bear. Here, he has just come from a
narrow bridge into a garden, but his
path continues. The image refers to
quotes from the Old Testament, Psalms
5:9, “Make thy way straight before my
face,” and from the New Testament,
Matthew 7:14, “Straight is the gate and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.” The
bird flying near him is a psychopomp, a
guide for the soul, and looking up at
him from the side of the road is a red
salamander. An ancient alchemical
symbol, the salamander was believed to
be able to withstand fire and come out
intact, like a transforming individual
who goes through crises and emerges
whole.
our roads to travel and our loads to
bear. Here, he has just come from a
narrow bridge into a garden, but his
path continues. The image refers to
quotes from the Old Testament, Psalms
5:9, “Make thy way straight before my
face,” and from the New Testament,
Matthew 7:14, “Straight is the gate and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.” The
bird flying near him is a psychopomp, a
guide for the soul, and looking up at
him from the side of the road is a red
salamander. An ancient alchemical
symbol, the salamander was believed to
be able to withstand fire and come out
intact, like a transforming individual
who goes through crises and emerges
whole.
