Pandora’s Box 1990

Boris Vallejo made this mythological scene called Pandora’s Box in 1990. Look at the hyper-realistic style of painting, where light seems to ooze from the figures. I can almost feel the smooth surface of the figure’s skin, and the strange cool light escaping from the box is like a character in itself. It’s incredible to think that someone can make paint look this way, creating a near-perfect representation of something unreal! I imagine Boris Vallejo in his studio, carefully blending paint, layering glazes, and maybe even inventing new colors to capture just the right luminescence. The artist probably felt like an alchemist! The box looks heavy. This painting might reference earlier mythological paintings, but the artist brings a unique sensibility to the whole scene. Artists are always looking, responding, and trying out new ways of seeing the world, and showing it to us.