Adonis' Centaur

In Greek mythology, Adonis was a young man who discovered Artemis, goddess of the hunt and goddess of the moon, bathing. Artemis saw him, and grew so angry that she turned him ito a bear and sent his own hounds after him. Artemis is also goddess of childbirth but, ironically, also a virgin who refused to wed any man and who murdered her own followers for breaking their vow of chastity. The centaur is, archetypally, a symbol of the battle between human reason and animal lust. Here, I imagined Adonis gazing upon the pale body of his goddess only to be surprised to see her ste out of the water with the body of a horse, and there is that brief recognition of Artemis' cruelty in being a temptress that punished the tempted.
Did I mention that this is a self portrait? Sometimes I feel like Artemis-- dressing up beautfully but growing angry when others look at me with lust. I detest that feeling of knowing that another person is thinking of me as a sexual object. Blech. And yet, it sometimes gives me a sense of control, of power. Hmm... Interestig that I am Artemis and Apollo is my brother, no?

Model:Me
Acrylic on canvas
(That face took me flippin' forever to figure out, and it's still not perfect!)