An explosion of gilded loveliness takes us on a majestic trip. Amid the golden glow of the sun, the vessel, cargo, and passengers gently make their way to a solemn destination. The painterly execution with a flawless treatment of illumination adds to the mystical atmosphere of the scene. The textures of the deeply symbolic objects, precious fabrics, firm skins, and the pushing clouds, leave us gazing from one perfect detail to the next. Under the rich detailed tapestry of these interlocking layers, there lies an essay on Change.

The Urn is an allegory of those big changes that we all go through in our lives, and the forces that are involved. They are always the same, whether a house move, the loss of a loved one, or a political revolution. Some may rely on us, such as Confusion, Will and Hope, while others are fully arbitrary, such as Fortune and Adversity. A journey from life to the afterlife, is the ultimate big change that we can think of, and the characteristics of some Egyptian deities made them suitable to embody these forces mentioned.

Cleopatra VII Philopator floats mid-air on her journey to the great beyond, and presents as the centerpiece of this pictorial universe. But rather than being an accurate depiction of the Queen, she is a symbol. The Egyptian Queen represents ourselves, the people, either individually or collectively. Cleopatra raises her arm to reach the new life from the goddess Bastet; this is, to reach our own goals. The model is none other than the painter’s daughter, Allegra. Incidentally, Cleopatra’s name means “The Glory of the Father.”

On the left, Bastet, the protective goddess of the home, offers Cleopatra a sistula containing milk, while holding a fan. Because the air they move, in Ancient Egypt fans were related to breath. Therefore, Bastet offers the new life to the Queen. Allegorically, she hands to us whatever we hope to achieve in every big change in life.