Scheherazade

oil on panel 2024

For this painting I drew on the character of Scheherazade, the heroine narrator of the Arabian Nights.

The tale begins with the Sultan, Shahryar, who takes a virgin each night only to have her executed the following morning. After being summoned to the Palace, Scheherazade entrances Shahryar with a wild and fantastic tale. Intrigued to hear more, he grants her an extra day of life. For 1001 nights, Scheherazade tells the tales of Persia, eventually reforming the monarch, who falls in love with her.

Here I wanted to communicate Scheherazade's intelligence and defiance. To me these traits, coupled with her determination to improve her own lot, are the power of the story.