RUBAIYAT IMAGES
Aquatints inspired by Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The paintings and aquatints are my spiritual reaction to the philosophy conveyed in the Rubaiyat- which contrast in a fundamental way, the emotions of life and mortality. The narrative in this series of pictures has been gestating in my mind for many years, the seed sown by my father reading the poem to me when I was a child in India. It was only later in life when I re-read the verses that I found that they revived in me images of my childhood. The images resonated with memories not only of my father’s delight in the words but also of living in India with its vibrant colours and unique atmosphere.
Philosopher, mathematician, poet and astronomer, Omar Khayyam was Persian and is thought to have died around 1122. Edward Fitzgerald’s translation has remained a classic translation of the original quatrains.