A Silent Song of Fading Glory

2019 Oil on Italian Linen 120x100cm

They were untouchable in their day. Supermen, controlling the most expansive empire then known. And the monuments celebrating their glory have become a record of their hubris. 

The permanence of statues is intrinsic to their very creation. Broadcasting down the centuries, each carries a message from its’ creator about a value system and cultural aesthetic very different to the world in which we now live. Bold indeed is the creator who believes their frozen ideals may connect with future audiences. 

Rationally it is hard to resist posing the question; was it foresight or just good luck that allowed victors in life and history to become revered and remembered? Often the answer is, a little of both. Because the great moments that change the course of humanity could so easily go the other way. With the best intentions great people may, in an alternate future, fail. And even with success, no one is immune from the humbling wrought by the passage of time. And forgetting.