La barca dei dannati

The artwork inspired by Charon is a metaphor for life. I chose to structure it in a pyramidal form, like a triangle (which symbolizes the sky and the aspiration to the divine), with the base of the triangle represented by the boat and Charon towering above everyone like a god, forming the apex.

The boat symbolizes life itself, carrying human beings (the damned) along their existential journey. Charon, above all, represents fate, mercilessly ferrying them through the course of life.

There is a sense of tension and agitation on the boat, symbolized by the only two female figures, who are the true protagonists of the scene and appear at the stern. They are the personifications of Despair (with the black veil) and Fear (with the green veil), governing all the emotional states on board.

The chromatic tones of the sky (blue and orange) symbolize the transition from life to the afterlife (or the underworld), reflecting the original meaning of the myth of Charon.

The acrylic background, with its black surface and golden streaks—also used in other works of mine—represents the same concept of light breaking through darkness.