Four Gondolas in Venice

5” x 7” (12.7cm x 17.8cm) acrylic on gessoed Masonite®.
SOLD
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This is the first small painting I've made available directly on my blog in a while. On our last visit to Italy we saw these Gondolas in the Bacino Orseolo near Piazza San Marco where you can arrange for a ride in one of these beautiful boats. The design of the gondola dates back over 1,000 years and a few are still made each year. Some day I want to create a computer 3-D model of a gondola, but it would take some time to do. If anyone has already done this I'd like to know about it.

© Copyright by Paul Wolber

Pandora's Box

"Pandora's Box" 6in. x 6in. (15.2cm x 15.2cm) acrylic on gessoed Masonite®
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This painting is a pithos or ancient Greek storage jar. It was painted in the style similar to one in the Louvre Museum in Paris. A pithos jar was supposedly the container Panodora brought with her to Epimetheus, from Zeus, which she was forbidden to open. Epimetheus was the brother of Prometheus who had stolen fire from Zeus to give to mankind. When Pandora through her curiosity opened the container she released all the misfortunes of mankind.

Because this painting was done for a benefit auction it seemed fitting since the purpose of the benefit is to support a worthy need of humankind, thus helping to redress what Pandora set loose upon the world. Today we think of Pandora’s container as “Pandora’s Box” however the myth according to Hesiod says it was a storage jar. The last thing to come out of the jar was hope, thus giving us reason for optimism in spite of misfortune.

© Copyright by Paul Wolber

For more information on this or any of my paintings send an email to: wolberinchina@hotmail.com
Or visit my blog at: http://pwolberart.blog.com/