Faculty of Art
Drawing and Painting
Miranda Elliott
Magna Mater
Painting
2023
Oil on Canvas
42" x 54"
The painting is based on the story of Cronus – referred to as Saturn in Roman myth – devouring his sons. This subject has been painted by Goya and Rubens, among others, but less frequently depicted is the story of Saturn’s wife, Rhea (referred to as Cybele in Roman myth, and also Magna Mater, or “Great Mother”). Rhea saved her son, Zeus, from being consumed by Cronus by swaddling a stone and feeding it to him in the baby’s place. The title Magna Mater is a reference to this story, with the three rocks forming a family grouping: Rhea/Cybele/Magna Mater, in the middle, shields the small ‘baby/rock’ Zeus, from the menacing presence of the father Cronus/Saturn in the background.
Work by
Miranda Elliott
Drawing and Painting
“In my practice I engage with the ‘vital materiality’ of the inanimate world, and the porous intersection between living and non-living. In doing so I ask: “how do you find meaning in precariousness,...” [More]
Celebrate the work of OCAD U’s class of 2022/2023!