Clytemnestra Five

This canvas is as much a response to ancient Painting as it is about the myth of Clytemnestra. The pattern references a fragment of painted wall from Thera – pre 1550 BCE. This is the fifth painting in the Clytemnestra series, featuring the motif of a double headed axe* and the concept of catharsis related to Greek Tragedy**. The treatment of the double headed axe has undergone several transformations, here the dark surface pervades the whole painting, there is underpainting of blue and overpainting of metallic bronze, the axe slightly brighter. * The double headed axe could be either functional or symbolic, in Clytemnestra’s hands probably both. **The reference is to Clytemnestra in the drama “Agamemnon” by Aeschylus which explores revenge and retribution. Oil and acrylic paint on deep canvas.