Grandibus Exigvi Sunt Pisces Piscibus Esca

100x80 cm
Oil on Canvas, 2019, gold leaf 24 ct.(text)
Unique piece - one of a kind.
Work on stretcher frame.
Sides are painted
Ready for hang. 

The inspiration for the painting is a drawing by Pieter Breugel the Elder. The motif - the proverb of "eat and be eaten" - has been known since ancient times. It is also known, for example, as "The powerful and the rich live at the expense of the oppressed and the poor" or "The little thieves end up in prison, the big ones live on unchallenged". With this modified model, the artist has built a bridge between the Middle Ages and our time. The medieval port cities on the horizon have been replaced by images of the world's largest financial centres, London and New York, which symbolise the world of finance. The black rock off the coast of New York - symbol of one of the largest asset management companies in the world: "Black Rock". The Viking ship integrated into the Statue of Liberty symbolises the aggressive expansion of the financial elite into the world.  The two towers of the WTC and the two birds above the city remind us of the terrorist act of 11 Sept. 

Big Fish Eat Little Fish, 1556
Pieter Bruegel der Ältere1556
ALBERTINA Museum, Wien

Grote vissen eten kleine vissen
Pieter van der Heyden1557 
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam