L'hommage 2011

Editor: "L'hommage," painted by Pietropoli Patrick in 2011. It's oil paint, and depicts what looks like a bronze statue, but there is a nude woman next to the horse that seems to take her dress off. It feels a bit provocative. What is your interpretation? Curator: Provocative indeed! My first thought? It's a mischievous wink at historical art and the very notion of "homage." Look at the monument, stoic and posed. He doesn't know that the nude female is paying tribute. Do you not find in the painting's shadows and rough edges an invitation to rethink those stuffy old historical paintings? Perhaps we are seeing a hidden side to historical art that the sculptor had never intended, right? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. The classical reference point is immediately clear, the rider and horse evoke power, and status. Is the nakedness sort of poking fun at all that? Curator: Exactly! Nakedness strips bare more than just the figure; it unravels pretense, societal expectations, and maybe even those hero myths we tend to swallow whole. Does she empower herself and challenge the status quo? Who has the upper hand here? And what does "homage" even mean in this context, don’t you wonder? It is as if Pietropoli offers not a statue to the man, but instead suggests some very human questions to the world, isn’t it? Editor: I do wonder about the questions raised and you put it so well. Thanks for revealing so much! Curator: The pleasure was mine. Next time, we'll tackle the mystery of socks and sandals! Just kidding... mostly.