According to Greek Mythology, Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and the queen of the underworld. She was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld, infuriating her mother who made the crops wither and the earth barren. Zeus intervened and tried to bring Persephone back to the world of the living; however, Persephone ate the seeds of a pomegranate that Hades had given to her, binding her to him for one third of the year. Thus, it was decided that Persephone spend four months in the underworld and eight months on earth with her mother. The period in the underworld corresponded to the winter season, during which Demeter would make the soils barren due to her grief, while her return marked the start of the spring. I read about Persephone when I was quite young and the story horrified me - particularly the part where she has to live underground for most of the year. Her story returned to me as I was painting this piece and while I know it was pomegranates seeds she ate, whenever I want to talk about persimmons Persephone is the only word which comes to me and I am forced to relive that horror I felt way back then :)
Comments 0
Say something