<p>Prior to becoming King of Israel, the young David was known for his talent as a harpist. According to 1 Samuel 16:14-23, David was called upon to play his harp for an ailing King Saul, who was suffering from anger fits, nightmares, and anxiety. When David played his harp Saul felt healed by the soothing sounds. So thankful for his service, Saul made David his armorbearer and requested he remain with him to play the harp whenever his illnesses returned.</p>
<p><br>Alvar continues his homage to his favorite artists in Homage to the Masters. The clock, our limited time remaining in this life, hangs on the wall behind the female figure, signifying creation. She holds the Vermeer work symbolizing the artist’s creation process. A dove in the top right corner represents peace while the bowl of fruit represents nature’s bounty.<br><br>Alvar draws his inspiration from these three masters – <br>Balthus, Vermeer & Piero Della Francesca.<br> </p>
<p><br>In this drawing, Alvar revisits his historical muses, paying tribute to three important artists – Balthus, Piero Della Francesca and Vermeer. These artists are seen as major influences to Alvar’s aesthetic and artistic practices. Alvar’s symbolism begins in the top left corner with the clock, representing our lives and the time we have remaining on earth. The bowl of fruit signifying nature’s bounty rests on a shelf next to a laurel branch, symbolizing peace. The Romanesque architecture frames out the top of the drawing while Alvar’s genderless, mythical figures art centered in the piece. The central figure along with the egg resting on the top of the Balthus work represents creation and the inspiration that comes from the act of creation.<br> </p>
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<p>Alvar pays homage to the places and people that influence his art in Naturaleza Muerta con Palomas. The Mediterranean town in the background and checkered tablecloth symbolize Alvar’s northern Spanish homeland and culture. Two doves symbolizing peace sit atop a still life of fruit signifying prosperity. By placing these symbols of plenitude within a Mediterranean landscape Alvar communicates that this area literally and figuratively nourishes him physically and artistically. Alvar also recognizes another artist who greatly impacted his work, the twentieth-century Expressionist painter Paul Klee, who also created a still life titled Still Life with Doves in 1931. Alvar credits Klee’s use of color and composition as a major source of artistic inspiration.</p>