Bust of Socrates, Oil on canvas. 2023.
Came across this bust of Socrates at the Musée des beaux-arts and snapped a photo. I did a few paintings of it and this one was my fave. I was suffering a lot during this time. Later I read that it was a common practice in antiquity for conquering armies to deface statues by removing the nose, as it was believed to sever the connection to spirit. This seemed very significant, and somehow closed the ontological and mystical circle of meaning for me, making the painting feel complete.