Magnus Gjoen | Heaven Lent You A Soul, Earth With Lend You A Grave | Large Framed Lenticular

£4,500.00

Heaven Lent You a Soul Earth Will Lend a Grave is a breathtaking framed, 3D Lenticular

90cm x 66cm

Signed & Numbered Edition of 25

Add To Cart

Artist

Magnus Gjoen

Curator Notes

If Baroque painting had a twenty-first century soul it would take the form of the lenticular.

Heaven Lent You a Soul Earth Will Lend a Grave is a modern reinterpretation of one of the greatest examples of Baroque painting – ‘The Triumph of Divine Providence (and the Fulfilment of its Purposes under Pope Urban VIII)’ by Petro da Cortona (1632-1639) in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome.Opulent & theatrical, the ceiling of Palazzo Barberini in Rome vibrates with the thrum of its 100 plus characters and is a masterpiece of seventeenth century painting and optical illusion.

‘Dilated to infinity beyond the limits imposed by the architecture’, the original fresco plays with perspective whilst the modern form of the lenticular pushes the games of perspective even further. Displaying a marketing savvy similar to today’s Instagrammer or social media expert, the Barberini ceiling offers a masterclass in self promotion & propaganda, a recurring theme and comparison in Magnus’ work. ‘We think that this obsession with portraying oneself in the perfect light is something new that has come with the age of social media, but in fact humans have been doing so for centuries.’