La Morte Della Sfinge 2015

Editor: So, this is Roberto Ferri's "La Morte Della Sfinge," painted in 2015, using oil paints. It definitely evokes a baroque feel, really dramatic. It also strikes me as being about a transition, maybe an end to innocence, or something like that. What do you see in this piece, from an iconographic point of view? Curator: What leaps out is the artist’s manipulation of light and shadow, a baroque hallmark used to amplify the emotional and psychological weight of the figures. Ferri is revisiting the sphinx myth, and tapping into the enduring human struggle with knowledge and self-discovery. Do you notice how the colors and the figures echo traditional symbols? Editor: You mean like the nude figures representing purity or vulnerability? And the purple shroud representing royalty or death? Curator: Exactly. Purple often straddles the line between earthly power and spiritual transcendence. The figures’ interaction—the near-caress of the shrouded figure, the serpent writhing between the man— speaks to hidden influences shaping human destiny, or inner desires. Do you see that serpent again, and what does it do to the interpretation? Editor: It seems to be strangling the man below and being pulled by the Sphinx on top. Maybe about internal struggles and domination? It also calls to mind classical allegories, and the enduring power of those ancient narratives to address contemporary themes. Curator: Precisely. Ferri uses a historical visual language to speak to our present moment, exploring the timeless dance between knowledge and ignorance, freedom and constraint. This invites a deep engagement with the history of symbolic language, as well as psychology, which has long had an investment in deciphering meaning through mythological symbols. Editor: So it’s about the continuous cycle of seeking, understanding, and the personal consequences? That gives me a new appreciation for the power of artistic and historic symbology! Curator: Indeed! Through this continuous interaction of historical themes, it underscores the continuity of human experience.