bs Things That Never Were Robert R Ingpen

The composition presents a densely populated and fantastical scene unfolding against a dark, turbulent sky punctuated by scattered stars. A central figure, powerfully built and seemingly male, dominates the foreground. He is positioned atop a chaotic pile of mythological and symbolic elements, his posture suggesting both strength and struggle. His right arm reaches upward towards a large, winged creature – a dragon or similar serpentine beast – whose scales shimmer with an almost metallic sheen.
To the figure’s left, a female form reclines amidst a tangle of foliage and what appears to be coral. Her expression is ambiguous; she seems both alluring and detached from the turmoil surrounding her. A mermaid-like creature emerges from the water at her feet, adding another layer of mythical presence. The lower portion of the composition features a skeletal figure riding a horse, its head turned towards the viewer with an unsettling gaze. This macabre pairing sits atop a human skull, further emphasizing themes of mortality and decay.
Below this central mass, a ship is visible on the waters surface, seemingly distant and vulnerable against the backdrop of the fantastical elements above. A faint landmass can be discerned in the background, adding a sense of scale and suggesting a world beyond the immediate chaos.
The painting’s subtexts appear to revolve around themes of ambition, temptation, and the precariousness of human endeavors. The central figures struggle with the winged creature could represent an attempt to grasp unattainable power or knowledge. The reclining female figure might symbolize the allure of forbidden desires or the deceptive nature of beauty. The skeletal rider on horseback underscores the inevitability of death and the futility of worldly pursuits.
The ship, a symbol of exploration and progress, is rendered small and insignificant in comparison to the overwhelming forces at play, hinting at humanity’s vulnerability against larger cosmic powers. Overall, the work evokes a sense of unease and ambiguity, inviting contemplation on the darker aspects of human nature and the fragility of existence within a world populated by myth and mystery.