Macbeth

This is the first piece of the collection The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The painting depicts the two phases of Macbeth’s arc.

The piece chronically reads from left to right; from down to dusk, like the character’s decisions: also leading into darkness.

On the left half the character shows his rightful side and a glorious atmosphere of warm colors surrounding him; a determined honorable warrior devoted to his king, pledged to the kingdom of Scotland represented by the engraved coat of arms on the grip of the sword he is wielding.

On the right side greed prevails; temptation awakening the, almost unconscious, ambition of a heavily influenced –or rather manipulated- Macbeth, by the prophetic words of The Witches and by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Both partially represented by the female shadow figure whispering his ear, while subtlety placing a dagger into his reach: the floating dagger that would later show the path to the great betrayal.

The presence of a horseman between the halves, blended with the clouds, is a reminiscence of the equestrian Scottish seals symbolizing status and masculinity. The loosening grip of the sword depicts Macbeth’s insecurities; precisely what enables his wife to manipulate him questioning his manhood.

As for all the pieces that are part of this collection, symmetry is ever-present; purity and temptation, determination and remorse, cause and consequence, what in shadows rises in light falls; a sense of balance across the whole collection.

Inspiration: William Shakespeare’s The Tragedie of Macbeth