COME AWAY WITH ME (LAND'S END CORNWALL)
2019
150 (w) x 120 (h) x 2 cm
59,1 (w) x 47,2 (h) x 0,8 in
acrylic and oil on canvas

Inspired by the cliffy and beautiful tongue of land in West Cornwall. Land's End is mainland Britain’s most south-westerly point and one of the country’s most famous landmarks. From the 200 foot high granite cliffs that rise out of the Atlantic Ocean you can gaze across to the Longships Lighthouse, the Isles of Scilly twenty eight miles away and beyond that, North America. The right place to start a journey...

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"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

LOVE AND POISON
diptych 2010
acrylic and oil on canvas
250 (w) x 150 (h) x 4 cm
98,4 (w) x 59,1 (h) x 1,6 in

The facets and seasons of love are always a romantic but bittersweet creative inspiration.

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'Love is poison. A sweet poison, yes, but it will kill you all the same.'
~ George R. R. Martin

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The diptych combines following 2 works and should 'read' from left to right:

'WHAT YOU CALL LOVE IS A DARK PLACE'
acrylic and oil on canvas
2010
120 (w) x 150 (h) x 4 cm
47,2 (w) x 59,1 (h) x 1,6 in
left part of the diptych

'WITH ERNA SCHILLING AT THE SEA'
acrylic and oil on canvas
2010
120 (w) x 150 (h) x 4 cm
47,2 (w) x 59,1 (h) x 1,6 in
right part of the diptych

DEUS LO VULT. GOD WILLS IT
2018
59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in
150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
acrylic and oil on canvas

This painting is inspired by the history of the medieval Crusades. These Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites in the Eastern Mediterranean considered sacred by both groups. Eight major Crusade expeditions occurred between 1096 and 1291. Deus lo vult ("God wills it") - variants Deus le volt, Dieux el volt, Deus vult - is a Catholic motto associated with the Crusades, more specifically with the First Crusade of 1096–1099. The phrase appears in the Vulgate translation of the Christian Bible. “Deus lo vult” was the battle cry of the First Crusade. When the Princes Crusade gathered in Amalfi in the late summer of 1096 (beginning of the First crusade), there assembled a large number of crusaders, armed and bearing the sign of the cross on their right shoulders or on their backs, crying in unison "Deus lo vult, deus lo vult!” The battle cry is again mentioned in the context of the capture of Antioch on 3 June 1098.

It all started with the speech of Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont on November 27, 1095, when he called to arms for the First Crusade (with the capture of Jerusalem and the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem): “Pope Urban uplifted uplifted his eyes to heaven and gave thanks to God and, with his hand commanding silence, said: Most beloved brethren, today is manifest in you what the Lord says in the Gospel, ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.’ Unless the Lord God had been present in your spirits, all of you would not have uttered the same cry. For, although the cry issued from numerous mouths, yet the origin of the cry was one. Therefore I say to you that God, who implanted this in your breasts, has drawn it forth from you. Let this then be your war-cry in combats, because this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: It is the will of God! It is the will of God!”
~ Robert the Monk (Gesta Francorum, 1120)

This fight between the Orient and Occident, between (Roman Catholic) Christianity and Islam has a long history. What I know: those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it (Winston Churchill). Only the deeper knowledge of the past enables a peaceful tomorrow. This fact includes the attempt of understanding individual medieval environment, motivation and set of beliefs. Beyond all question historical narratives of the Era of Crusades offer us stories of humility, courage, creed, and hope and inspired romance, philosophy, and literature by accounts of heroism, chivalry, and piety. Emotions mixed with their unshakeable belief in God that motivated kings, knights, servants and ordinary people to “Take the Cross”.

THE KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM
2018
59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in
150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
acrylic and oil on canvas

This painting is inspired by the history of the medieval Crusades. These Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites in the Eastern Mediterranean considered sacred by both groups. Eight major Crusade expeditions occurred between 1096 and 1291.

The (Latin) Kingdom of Jerusalem was a crusader state established in the Southern Levant by Godfrey of Bouillon in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years (1099 until 1291). After the successful siege of Jerusalem in 1099, Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade, became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The kingdom was ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse, although the crusaders themselves and their descendants were an elite Catholic minority. They imported many customs and institutions from their homelands in Western Europe, and there were close familial and political connections with the West throughout the kingdom's existence. And the kingdom also inherited "oriental" qualities, influenced by the pre-existing customs and populations. But on July 4, 1187, the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was utterly destroyed at the Battle of Hattin and over the next few months Saladin easily overran the entire kingdom. After the fall of Jerusalem 1187 the capital of the kingdom was moved to Acre and controlled most of the coastline of present-day Israel and southern and central Lebanon, including the strongholds and towns of Jaffa, Arsuf, Caesarea, Tyre, Sidon, and Beirut. But in 1291 the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks and the Kingdom of Jerusalem didn’t exist any longer. This was the end of the Era of Crusades. However, for the next seven centuries, up to today, a veritable multitude of European monarchs have used the title of King of Jerusalem.

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“For we who were Occidentals now have been made Orientals. He who was a Roman or Frank has in this land been made into a Galilaean, or an inhabitant of Palestine. He who was of Rheims or Chartres has now become a citizen of Tyre or Antioch. We have already forgotten the places of our birth; already these are unknown to many of us or not mentioned any more.”
~ Fulcher of Chartres (The Latins in the East, Chronicle, 1128)

This fight between the Orient and Occident, between (Roman Catholic) Christianity and Islam has a long history. What I know: those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it (Winston Churchill). Only the deeper knowledge of the past enables a peaceful tomorrow. This fact includes the attempt of understanding individual medieval environment, motivation and set of beliefs. Beyond all question historical narratives of the Era of Crusades offer us stories of humility, courage, creed, and hope and inspired romance, philosophy, and literature by accounts of heroism, chivalry, and piety. Emotions mixed with their unshakeable belief in God that motivated kings, knights, servants and ordinary people to “Take the Cross”.

NO MORE SHALL MY MORNING RISE IN OUTREMER
2018
59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in
150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
acrylic and oil on canvas

Inspired by the history of the medieval Kingdom of Jerusalem and the fall of Acre 1291: Outremer (French: outre-mer, meaning "overseas") was a general name used for the Crusader states; it originated after victories of Europeans in the First Crusade and was applied to the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli, and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

We hardly remember the names and the knightly bravery of the defenders, we hardly imagine the deepness of their religion and Christian motivation, but the fall of Acre was one of the most important battles of that medieval period. It signaled the end of the Jerusalem crusades. Acre was the capital of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, a crusader state established by European Christian knights in the Southern Levant after the First Crusade in 1099. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks. Acre was well defended by knights, with two lines of thick walls and had twelve powerful towers (which were built by European kings and rich pilgrims). The siege began on the 6th April 1291. The Sultan's catapults battering the walls, Muslim troops attacked the walls day by day. Resistance weakened after six weeks of bloody defense and tower after tower fell to the ground in ruins. Muslim forces entered the streets on the 18th May 1291 and before nightfall Acre was in Sultan's hands and a massacre started. We hardly remember the names and the knightly bravery of the defenders, we hardly imagine the deepness of their religion and Christian motivation, but the fall of Acre was one of the most important battles of that medieval period. It signaled the end of the Jerusalem crusades. The Holy Land and the Kingdom of Jerusalem were lost forever.

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"Templar is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armor of faith, just as his body is protected by the armor of steel. He is thus doubly armed and need fear neither demons nor men."
~ Bernard de Clairvax (1090 - 1153) ex: "Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae" (Book to the Knights of the Temple, in praise of the new knighthood)

This fight between the Orient and Occident, between (Roman Catholic) Christianity and Islam has a long history. What I know: those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it (Winston Churchill). Only the deeper knowledge of the past enables a peaceful tomorrow. This fact includes the attempt of understanding individual medieval environment, motivation and set of beliefs. Beyond all question historical narratives of the Era of Crusades offer us stories of humility, courage, creed, and hope and inspired romance, philosophy, and literature by accounts of heroism, chivalry, and piety. Emotions mixed with their unshakeable belief in God that motivated kings, knights, servants and ordinary people to “Take the Cross”.

THE FAITHFUL AND THE FALLEN
triptych 2018
acrylic and oil on canvas
149,6 (w) x 59,1 (h) x 0,8 in
380 (w) x 150 (h) x 2 cm

3 LARGE-SIZED PAINTINGS
LARGE-SIZED TRILOGY AS TRIPTYCH

This trilogy is inspired by the history of the medieval Crusades. These Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites in the Eastern Mediterranean considered sacred by both groups. Eight major Crusade expeditions occurred between 1096 and 1291. The bloody, violent and often ruthless conflicts started in 1095, when Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade in a sermon at the Council of Clermont. But the two-century attempt to recover the Holy Land from Muslim rule ended in failure. The last Catholic outposts Acre fell in 1291. But the Era of the Crusades is also intrinsically tied to famous medieval commanders as Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor (Frederick Barbarossa), Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart), and Salah ad-Din (Saladin) and it was the birth of knightly orders as The Knights Templars, The Teutonic Knights and The Hospitallers of St John. The Crusades had also an impact on Middle East nations for many years, and still influence political and cultural views and opinions held today.

This fight between the Orient and Occident, between (Roman Catholic) Christianity and Islam has a long history. It is still a subject of discussion where was the starting point of this conflict and I don't want to adjudicate on medieval incidents, perpetrators and victims and on deeds and misdeeds on both sides from the perspective of the 21st century. But what I know: those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it (Winston Churchill). Only the deeper knowledge of the past enables a peaceful tomorrow. This fact includes the attempt of understanding individual medieval environment, motivation and set of beliefs. Beyond all question historical narratives of the Era of Crusades offer us stories of humility, courage, creed, and hope and inspired romance, philosophy, and literature by accounts of heroism, chivalry, and piety. Emotions mixed with their unshakeable belief in God that motivated kings, knights, servants and ordinary people to “Take the Cross”.

My trilogy THE FAITHFUL AND THE FALLEN about the First Crusade combines three essential of my works (2018) from aesthetic standpoints as well as with regard to contents. The triptych brings important events of the Era of the Crusades into focus and should “read” from left to right:

"DEUS LO VULT. GOD WILLS IT"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2018 / 59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in / 150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
left part of the triptych

"THE KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2018 / 59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in / 150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
center part of the triptych

"NO MORE SHALL MY MORNING RISE IN OUTREMER"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2018 / 59,1 (h) x 47,2 (w) x 0,8 in / 150 (h) x 120 (w) x 2 cm
right part of the triptych

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"As we go in the name of God, we are confident that He will guide us."
~ James I. of Aragon (1208 - 1278)

“You who love with true love, awake!
Sleep no more! The lark tells us know that the day is here
And tells us in her songs that the day of peace has come
Which God, in his great tenderness, will give to those who for love of him
Take the cross and for their burden suffer pain both night and day
Then he will see who truly love him.”
~ from 'Les chansons de croisade' (Songs of the Crusades), unknown poet but written before the poet's participation in the Fifth Crusade around 1218

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IF YOU WERE MY MORNING IN THE WILDERNESS
120 (h) x 100 (w) x 4,5 cm
acrylic and oil on canvas
2018

"The past is not dead. It's not even past."
William C. Faulkner (1897-1962)

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The painting is from my series INNOCENCE. Central topic is light: brightness as a symbol that stands for the beginning, the morning, the pureness and birth, the ease and light-heartedness. In other words: innocence. And this innocence is beautiful, perfect, immortal. This innocence is emotional, it touches and is a promise. Mostly the series works with very different yellow and red colours. We are talking about affirmative paintings as a stark contrast to the (daily) madness and confusions around us. These paintings are my answer to all the negative events in this world and it correlates with my credo: be hot, be cold but never be lukewarm. Today is already past, and we have to fight against the gloom before melancholia will drown us. We should offer resistance against the inner and outer debris fields – we can be warriors of the light (within the meaning of Paulo Coelho) and we are able to design our fate in an intensive and positive kind. We’re standing back to back and defending our well standpoints. We are making mistakes. But we are fighting.

THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
triptych 2018
acrylic and oil on canvas
310 (w) x 120 (h) x 4,5 cm

3 LARGE-SIZED PAINTINGS
LARGE-SIZED TRILOGY AS TRIPTYCH

I share the opinion of the famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944), that paintings contain not only a creative message as single piece. You can look at them also in a major conceptional context. This trilogy THE LIVING AND THE DEAD combines three essential of my works (2018) from aesthetic standpoints as well as with regard to contents.

Central topic is light: brightness as a symbol that stands for the beginning, the morning, the pureness and birth, the ease and light-heartedness. In other words: innocence. And this innocence is beautiful, perfect, immortal. This innocence is emotional, it touches and is a promise. Mostly the triptych works with very different yellow and red colours. We are talking about affirmative paintings as a stark contrast to the (daily) madness and confusions around us. These paintings are my answer to all the negative events in this world and it correlates with my credo: be hot, be cold but never be lukewarm. Today is already past, and we have to fight against the gloom before melancholia will drown us. We should offer resistance against the inner and outer debris fields – we can be warriors of the light (within the meaning of Paulo Coelho) and we are able to design our fate in an intensive and positive kind. We’re standing back to back and defending our well standpoints. We are making mistakes. But we are fighting.

The triptych combines following 3 works and should "read" from left to right:

"IF YOU WERE AN EMPIRE ON WHICH THE SUN NEVER SETS II"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2018, 100 (w) x 120 (h) x 4,5 cm
left part of the triptych

"AS IF THE MORNING SUN ENLIGHTENS THE SEA"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2013, 100 (w) x 120 (h) x 4,5 cm
center part of the triptych

"IF YOU WERE MY MORNING IN THE WILDERNESS"
acrylic and oil on canvas, 2018, 100 (w) x 120 (h) x 4,5 cm
right part of the triptych

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"The past is not dead. It's not even past."
~ William C. Faulkner (1897-1962)

IF YOU WERE AN EMPIRE ON WHICH THE SUN NEVER SETS II
120 (h) x 100 (w) x 4,5 cm
acrylic and oil on canvas
2018

If you were an Empire
On which the sun never sets
My kingdom of light
Risen in golden spring
I would follow you
Anywhere you want me to

If you were an Empire
On which the sun never sets
My shieldmaid of hope
Grace under your flag
I would burn for you
Everywhere you will go

If you were an Empire
On which the sun never sets
My dream in dust
Fallen to ruins long ago
I would remember you
Wherever my heart will flow.

CB

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In other words about Yesterday:
"The past is not dead. It's not even past."
William C. Faulkner (1897-1962)