Between Poetry and Philosophy
48" x 68"
1984
Artist's Collection
Philosophy has always seemed to me a lonely job, so I offered Aristotle a little company. Contemplating the bust of the poet Homer, he perhaps gave some thought to the brevity of life and its pleasures. For a companion, I chose someone in need of wisdom, the biblical Bathsheba, contemplating a seductive offer in a letter from King David. We can assume the philosopher advised her that the path to well-being lay in the contemplative life, not in the pursuit of pleasure. On the other hand, she might have reflected on Homer's observation, "It is not possible to fight beyond your strength, even if you strive."
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