'Back to Paradise', 2011

What is a paradise? A paradise for some, can be hell for others. The paradise needs to be

protected, to have its borders clarified. To desire paradise is perhaps an underlying reason

to work for a better world. But what can one do in the paradise?

The title 'Back to Paradise' implies that once the world was one or at least one place in the

world. Perhaps it did not exist for long, a temporary paradise. Perhaps it refers to the

paradise on earth as described by the Roman writers Ovidius and Vergil. The former locate

in Arcadia, Greece and the latter in Italy.

Some elements of these stories are used in this tryptych; the god Pan watches over the

shepherds in this paradise (righthand). But also the landscape descriptions of Virgil (middle).

This Paradise on Earth was painted by Botticelli among others and elements of this painting

are to be found in this tryptich.

Paradise on Earth was named the Golden Century which brings us to the 17th century.

Here is the starting point the Christian symbolism of Adam and Eve (lefthand). In this

painting the vanitas is also depicted. The tryptych depicts the night and especially the early

hours of the morning when everything seems to lie dormant. A beautiful precarious balance.

At the same time it depicts a 'painters' paradise, where good and evil do not exist and only

the painting remains.