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Goddess Athena Rewards The Poor Young Man For His Filial Piety

Oil on canvas
35.5 x 47.5 inch
Dec. 2000 to May 2002.

In The New World-Talk, a compilation of the lives of famous people written during the Jin Dynasty (260-380 A.D.), there is described a certain Wong-Hsian, who was famous for his filial piety towards his step-mother. It is said that his family has a productive peach tree, which his step-mother asks him to protect. During a stormy night, Wong hugs the tree and wails. Later while Wong sleeps the step-mother goes to cut the tree down. Wong runs into the scene when he gets up to urinate. He knows then that the step-mother wants him dead so he goes and kneels before the step-mother and asks for death. The step-mother is moved and from then on treats him like her own son.

The story may be bizarre, but is the inspiration behind this piece. In this painting Goddess Athena pays ceremonial visit to the poor young man (based on Wong) for his filial piety.

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