It was believed that when the griffon vulture turned its back to the southeast, that it would become fertilized. For this reason among others, it was considered a symbol of fertility.
In this painting, I wanted to show the vulture with its back to the southeast, with the sun streaming through its feathers. All around it are papyrus, a plant that grew on the Nile River.
Funny to think about a vulture being a symbol of fertility, but in countries where it plays such an important part in the cycle of death and rebirth (or in their case 'recycling), it's interesting to see how they work into he symbolism.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the touches of vegetation you've been including in each successive picture for your thesis. It really helps tie the bird to the terrain and therefore the culture in its region. I'd love to see a further exploration of how birds directly tie in with myth and religion at a future point, if you ever had that inclination.