About the artwork

Finished at noon today (1.1.2024), Jean says he was determined to welcome in the New Year with ‘Ceryneian’. In Greek mythology, Ceryneian is an enormous doe (a female deer), with golden antlers (like those of a stag). Mythology tells how Artemis found a herd of Ceryneian does and was so impressed with them that she adorned them with golden bridles and yoked four of them to her chariot. Artemis then intentionally allowed a fifth deer to escape so that its capture could become the third labour of Heracles. This striking mixed media work is another collaboration between two Art2Arts artists, Jean Lagadec and Zizi Lagadec (although Zizi stresses that her contribution was minimal). Jean’s first depiction of this mystical beast sold to a collector about 8 years ago yet the image of the deer made such a deep impression on Zizi that, each time she saw a stag, standing on a hillside (during one of her many wild camping expeditions), Jean’s painting seemed to superimpose itself onto the animal. So, with reality and art merging in her mind, Zizi sketched a stag (in outline), with gold reflecting off its antlers and with an enormous orange sun burnishing the sloping ground beneath its hooves; and that sketch inspired Jean to re-visit Ceryneian and to produce this beautiful piece of work. The size shown is for the work fully mounted, framed and ready to hang.