Atlas Considers

"Atlas Considers," oil on board, 30x24"

Here's the last painting for the month - I can't believe that it's almost the end of January...

This is the last of the three that I wanted to do in oils reprising the boxed series.  This one is quite a departure from my typical style for a number reasons,

1. I did the whole painting in grey tones before adding color.
2. I added gold-leaf for accents.  I may have been spending too much time looking at Brad Kunkle's work. ;)
3. I added some narrative elements to the composition: the apples and apple blossoms.

The title refers this Greek myth:

"One of the Twelve Labors of the hero Heracles was to fetch some of the golden apples which grow in Hera's garden, tended by Atlas' daughters, the Hesperides, and guarded by the dragon Ladon. Heracles went to Atlas and offered to hold up the heavens while Atlas got the apples from his daughters.

Upon his return with the apples, however, Atlas attempted to trick Heracles into carrying the sky permanently by offering to deliver the apples himself, as anyone who purposely took the burden must carry it forever, or until someone else took it away. Heracles, suspecting Atlas did not intend to return, pretended to agree to Atlas' offer, asking only that Atlas take the sky again for a few minutes so Heracles could rearrange his cloak as padding on his shoulders. When Atlas set down the apples and took the heavens upon his shoulders again, Heracles took the apples and ran away." - Wikipedia

My Atlas considers whether or not take the weight of the sky back from Hercules.