BATH IN CARTHAGE
1994, 50x70cm, Bright oil on canvas
“Bath in Carthage” is a work that depicts an elaborate thermal bath set in an imaginary ancient Carthage. The composition is rich and crowded, with numerous characters distributed in a luxurious architectural space. At the center of the scene is a large turquoise water basin, around which various human figures are arranged in various attitudes of relaxation. Some adults and children are immersed in the water, using what appear to be floats. On the left of the work is a blue niche that houses colorful fish, creating a natural aquarium effect. In the right part of the image appear figures in clothes reminiscent of ancient Egypt or North Africa, with a soldier armed with a spear and a female figure with red hair. Next to the main basin lies a leopard resting peacefully. The environment is decorated with exotic elements: a palm tree, ornamental vases, small tables, and decorative objects. In the bottom right, curiously, appears a figure reminiscent of the fantastic being Yoda, almost as if he were an unexpected visitor or a mythological presence.
Painting technique:
The work is created with bright oil colors on canvas, giving the image a delicate and dreamy quality. The color palette is dominated by warm and earthy tones for the architecture (beige, ochre), contrasted by the intense turquoise blue of the aquatic areas. The contours of the figures are defined with thin lines, while the surfaces are colored with soft and slightly transparent tints. There is particular attention to decorative details and textures, both in the architecture and in the objects.
Symbolic elements and hidden meanings:
“Bath in Carthage” presents a fusion of historical and fantastic elements that suggest multiple levels of interpretation. The representation of Carthage, an ancient city in North Africa, becomes a pretext to create a dreamlike environment where past and imagination merge. The presence of figures recalling different cultures (Egyptian, Carthaginian, North African) together with fantastic elements suggests a deliberate anachronism that transcends historical fidelity in favor of a personal and symbolic vision. The tamed leopard next to the basin symbolizes the luxury and power of ancient Carthage, while the niche with colorful fish represents the city’s connection to the Mediterranean Sea, the source of its wealth and power. The figures in Egyptian or North African clothes emphasize the cultural interweaving of the ancient Mediterranean. The presence of the fantastic being (Yoda) in the bottom right introduces a surreal element that breaks the historical perception, suggesting that the work is not intended to be a faithful reconstruction but a personal and fantastic reinterpretation of an ancient world. The coexistence of nudity, water, and flowers could recall themes of purification, fertility, and sensory pleasure, all elements that can be associated with bathing rituals in ancient Mediterranean cultures.
Conclusion:
“Bath in Carthage” presents itself as a fascinating dreamlike vision that freely reinterprets a historical environment. The work blends archaeological, fanciful, and symbolic elements, creating a scene that transcends historical time to become an imaginary space where different cultures meet. The delicate and detailed technique contributes to creating an atmosphere suspended between documentation and fantasy. The insertion of anachronistic and fantastic elements invites the viewer not to consider the work as a historical reconstruction, but as an artistic meditation on collective memory and the imagery linked to ancient Mediterranean civilizations.
“Bath in Carthage” is a work that depicts an elaborate thermal bath set in an imaginary ancient Carthage. The composition is rich and crowded, with numerous characters distributed in a luxurious architectural space. At the center of the scene is a large turquoise water basin, around which various human figures are arranged in various attitudes of relaxation. Some adults and children are immersed in the water, using what appear to be floats. On the left of the work is a blue niche that houses colorful fish, creating a natural aquarium effect. In the right part of the image appear figures in clothes reminiscent of ancient Egypt or North Africa, with a soldier armed with a spear and a female figure with red hair. Next to the main basin lies a leopard resting peacefully. The environment is decorated with exotic elements: a palm tree, ornamental vases, small tables, and decorative objects. In the bottom right, curiously, appears a figure reminiscent of the fantastic being Yoda, almost as if he were an unexpected visitor or a mythological presence.
Painting technique:
The work is created with bright oil colors on canvas, giving the image a delicate and dreamy quality. The color palette is dominated by warm and earthy tones for the architecture (beige, ochre), contrasted by the intense turquoise blue of the aquatic areas. The contours of the figures are defined with thin lines, while the surfaces are colored with soft and slightly transparent tints. There is particular attention to decorative details and textures, both in the architecture and in the objects.
Symbolic elements and hidden meanings:
“Bath in Carthage” presents a fusion of historical and fantastic elements that suggest multiple levels of interpretation. The representation of Carthage, an ancient city in North Africa, becomes a pretext to create a dreamlike environment where past and imagination merge. The presence of figures recalling different cultures (Egyptian, Carthaginian, North African) together with fantastic elements suggests a deliberate anachronism that transcends historical fidelity in favor of a personal and symbolic vision. The tamed leopard next to the basin symbolizes the luxury and power of ancient Carthage, while the niche with colorful fish represents the city’s connection to the Mediterranean Sea, the source of its wealth and power. The figures in Egyptian or North African clothes emphasize the cultural interweaving of the ancient Mediterranean. The presence of the fantastic being (Yoda) in the bottom right introduces a surreal element that breaks the historical perception, suggesting that the work is not intended to be a faithful reconstruction but a personal and fantastic reinterpretation of an ancient world. The coexistence of nudity, water, and flowers could recall themes of purification, fertility, and sensory pleasure, all elements that can be associated with bathing rituals in ancient Mediterranean cultures.
Conclusion:
“Bath in Carthage” presents itself as a fascinating dreamlike vision that freely reinterprets a historical environment. The work blends archaeological, fanciful, and symbolic elements, creating a scene that transcends historical time to become an imaginary space where different cultures meet. The delicate and detailed technique contributes to creating an atmosphere suspended between documentation and fantasy. The insertion of anachronistic and fantastic elements invites the viewer not to consider the work as a historical reconstruction, but as an artistic meditation on collective memory and the imagery linked to ancient Mediterranean civilizations.