Tony Scherman (b. 1950) is one of the most collected and cherished Canadian artists.

He is renowned internationally for his work, typically executed in the highly temperamental medium of encaustic, which is a wax-based paint equivalent.

Scherman's moody palette and sumptuous portraits (whether contemporary, historical or allegorical) reference a range of masters, including Goya and Manet, yet his works are visceral and contemporary. Scherman's allusions to both history, and the history of visual art, are constants in his oeuvre.

This work, which depicts Oedipus' mother/lover Jocasta in carnal ecstasy, comes from one of the artist's most recognizable series, The Seduction of Oedipus.

"Oedipus Rex" is an ancient text by Sophocles that recounts the brutal and carnal stories of this sinister and tragic royal family. Since its publication nearly 2500 years ago, it has inspired an astonishing number of interpretations by an array of artists ranging from Ingres to Ralph Fiennes to Voltaire. Scherman has repeatedly visited these characters over the course of his career.

Click here to see another example of Scherman's Jocasta

Scherman’s work can be found in nearly every public collection in Canada, as well as many international museums including LACMA (Los Angeles) and Centre Pompidou (Paris)