Maria Zeldis’ Serenity
In this painting named Rain 2, Maria Zeldis has created a beautiful image of serenity among adversity. Its subject, a boy, has a calm, dreamlike expression on his face. He seems perfectly at peace. His tranquil face serves as a stark contrast to the world around him. Behind the boy’s illuminated face, there is nothing but darkness and rain. The boy is wearing a drab, soaked rain jacket that seems to trap him in, making most of his body blend into the shadows behind him. This darkness does not seem to bother the child, however. He has his face turned up into the rain, not flinching even as the water runs down his face and soaks his hair.
Despite the darkness, which evokes concealment and adversity, the inner beauty and grace of the boy shine through. Although he could pull up his hood and stay dry, he looks into the sky and welcomes the coolness of the rain on his face. His eyes are closed, blocking out the harshness of the world around him.
What do think about this piece?
The canvas adds a nice texture to the drawing as a whole, almost like another layer of serenity.
This drawing evokes a sense of purge/cleanse for the viewer. I am assuming that this is because the boy uses the rain as a cleaning/relieving method for his negative life created by other external factors (parents, friends etc.). The rain is also used as a sort of detachment from reality, a private sanctuary where the boy can purify itself from all of the negative influences.