Evening (Hesperis)
THE HESPERIDES were the three goddesses of evening and the
golden light of sunset. They were entrusted with the care of the
tree of the golden apples which was presented to Hera by Gaia
(Mother Earth) on her wedding day. The Hesperides were assisted
in the task by the hundred-headed Drakon Ladon.
"Now Hesperos (Evening) begat a daughter named Hesperis (Evening),
whom he gave in marriage to his brother [Atlas] and after whom
the land was given the name Hesperitis; and Atlas begat by her
seven daughters, who were named after their father Atlantides,
and after their mother Hesperides."
- Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.26.2
Translated title: Twilight
Oil on canvas 50 x 27 7/8 inches (127 x 66 cm)
Private collection
© William Pitcher 2007
36x54 inches pigmented ink print on canvas with several layers of varnish. The actual image size is 39x57 wrapped around the edges of heavy-duty stretcher bars . Meticulous attention has been paid to detail (see the crop below).
Typically, each image consists of 15-20 photographic pieces and countless layers. Even working with PhotoShop's large file format (which allows me to save files larger than the 2 gigabyte limit) work is spread across several files until I can amalgamate and flatten components.
2 1/4 sq. inches - 0.1 % of the surface
(It's on the side of the fishing vessel.)
Evening Song
LOOK off, dear Love, across the shallow sands,
And mark yon meeting of the sun and the sea,
How long they kiss in sight of all the lands.
Ah! longer, longer we.
Now in the sea's red vintage melts the sun,
As Egypt's red pearl dissolved in rosy wine,
And Cleopatra night drinks all. 'Tis done,
Love, lay thine hand in mine.
Come forth, sweet stars, and comfort heaven's heart;
Glimmer, ye waves, round else unlighted sands.
O night! divorce our sun and sky apart
Never our lips, our hands.
-Sidney Lanier 1842-1881
