Ceres

Ceres is depicted in a half-length portrait within an oval frame, her hair entwined with ears of grain. She holds a large horn of plenty filled with the harvest, while a younger figure gazes up at her and clutches a harvesting tool. The corners of the rectangular plate are decorated with grotesque winged creatures and piles of fruit and vegetables.

As the personification of agriculture and the element of Earth, Ceres is a key figure in the Renaissance proverb 'Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus' (Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes). This series explores the Neoplatonic idea that physical sustenance and vitality are the necessary foundations for the higher passion of love.