The Golden Bough

The Golden Bough

60” x 40”

Oil on Canvas

(2019-2022)

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I finished the Golden Bough a couple months ago. I’ve been waiting patiently for it to thoroughly dry before varnishing, framing and photographing properly. For now I thought it would be good to post here as it dries and then post again after varnishing and framing.

In the poetics of Virgil’s Aeneid, “The Golden Bough” is a branch from a sacred tree that allows safe passage through the underworld. In book 6, Aeneas visits Apollo’s seer, the prophetess Sibyl who becomes Aeneas’ guide for crossing into the kingdom of death. The Sibyl tells Aeneas about the golden bough, to be found in the sacred grove of Diana; an alien branch within the order of nature, glowing with a discolored aura. Aeneas in anxiety begins searching the forest - in vain. His goddess mother, Venus, sends two doves that guide him to the tree. In the painting the two illuminated lights felt like an homage to the twin doves. Aeneas takes the death-journey to find the shade of his father and speak to him face-to-face. His father shows Aeneas the vision of his destiny.

I worked on this painting for about 3 years. I took the photo that was my reference 7 years ago. I had recently moved into a new apartment in Ocean Grove. The day I took the photo my family dog had died. At night when I got back to my apartment I decided to take a walk and brought my camera. It was early spring. When I saw the globes illuminating the budding tree I stopped in my tracks. The one globe with the light out seemed to suggest the realm of the dead. I felt myself wavering at the threshold for a moment while I took the photo.

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This was my painting set up: a wall in the kitchen of my apartment