My inspiration for this series was Horace Vernet’s Polish Prometheus, which was painted in 1831, after the fall of the November uprising - Poland’s failed attempt to over throw the Russian empire. Prometheism is the fight for freedom, not only for Poland but also for the other countries being oppressed by the Russian empire. Horace’s painting portrays Russia as a grim eagle, which is also Russian’s coat of arms (a double headed eagle to be exact), standing on top of a wounded Polish soldier. Inspired by the unrelenting and frank nature of how Horace Vernet painted the social situation of November’s Uprising, I wanted to recreate his painting with my personal point of view. I chose to portray the Russia Empire as a Woman, with characteristics of what the eagle represents in the painting - Cold, Hostile and Dominant. The background captured was a reflection of the attempted revolution, dull colours but with a hint of orange to signify flames and the devastation of war.
