Sekhmet's Sunset By ScalerandiArt Watch

144 Favourites 17 Comments 3K Views

Last of the large paintings I did in the past months for the next exhibitions in autumn, this was again a weird experiment.



It was inspired by the myths surrounding Egyptian goddesses Sekhmet and Bast. While they are well known as the "lioness goddess" and the "cat goddess", the actual myths are rather confusing. Both figures changed many times during the long history of Egyptian culture and at some points they were even regarded as two manifestations of the same figure. Usually they were considered solar deities but Bast especially was considered a moon gooddess in some places and ages.



A rather cute myth states that Sekhmet became Bast after she was "tamed" by the god of wisdom Thoth. Sekhmet had been created by the supreme god Ra as the goddess of war, but she was so fierce that she was causing too much destruction among men. Ra sent Thoth to deal with her and the god tricked Sekhmet by making her drunk with wine (which she had never tried before) so she would listen to his flattering speeches. So he was able to gradually tame her anger until she became a more benevolent goddess and turned into a domesticated kind of cat.



In the painting I've put together elements of this myth - a wine amphor, retainer ibises (they were the sacred birds of Thoth), a setting bronze sun leaving the moon in its place, and a cat which will soon take the place of the lioness.



...now that's a complicated excuse to paint a naked lioness. X-D



Oil on canvas, 40x60 cm.

IMAGE DETAILS Image size 1024x682px 227.58 KB Show More

Published : Jul 13, 2013 | Mature