“ALLEGORY OF THE ULYSSES PHOENIX”
#Phoenix@FA

The idea of the phoenix is a mythological concept that has been found in many ancient cultures around the world.
The earliest known references to the phoenix are in ancient Egyptian mythology, where the bird was known as the "Bennu" and was associated with the sun, creation, and rebirth.
The Greek historian Herodotus also wrote about the phoenix in his Histories, describing it as a bird that lived in Arabia and had bright red and gold feathers. According to Herodotus, the phoenix would build a nest of cinnamon and myrrh, and then set itself on fire. From the ashes of the burnt bird, a new phoenix would rise, born again to live another cycle of life.
The phoenix was also mentioned in Roman mythology, where it was associated with the sun god Apollo and was seen as a symbol of immortality and rebirth. The Romans believed that the phoenix lived for 500 years before building a nest of aromatic woods and spices and burning itself to death. A new phoenix would then rise from the ashes to begin a new cycle of life.
The idea of the phoenix was also found in Chinese mythology, where it was known as the "Fenghuang" and was associated with the five elements of Chinese cosmology: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. In Chinese tradition, the phoenix was a symbol of virtue, grace, and prosperity, and was often depicted alongside the dragon as a symbol of the emperor's power.
So the idea of the phoenix as a bird of rebirth and renewal has been a common theme in many different cultures throughout history.

In the composition, one can see a modern-day version of the phoenix. On one hand, it looks a bit like one of Elon Musk's Falcon 9 rockets, but on the other hand it looks like a large red Ulysses Butterfly. The Ulysses

Butterfly (Papilio ulysses) is known for its bright coloration and represents the idea of transformation and growth, like a phoenix.

And is Ulysses, as legendary figure mythology not known for his courage and transformational adventure ?

This is also a tribute to Elon Musk : is he not like a modern phoenix ? Like the mythical bird, he has repeatedly risen from the ashes of failure and setbacks to achieve remarkable success in a variety of fields.

So it is good to end this series on "Sins and Virtues" with a highly positive note.
The attentive viewer will have observed that in the complex spectrum of sins and virtues, ambiguity reigns. It does not matter what the color of skin or gender is, what nationality or religion you have, young or old, rich or poor ; we all struggle with the same balancing act between good and bad, right or wrong…

The 7 sins and 7 virtues have been created by Christians almost 2000 ago. Since then, the world has become one village, and information is exchanged instantly in this global village.
How does this affect people and their ability "to stay on the right path" ? Is this more difficult now then let's say 500 years ago (in the time of Pieter Breughel) or 2000 years ago (in the time of early Christians) ?

And is there more moral ambiguity now than in the past ? I leave these final questions up to you, my dear viewer...
But whenever we fall and how deep we may fall, we can transform ourselves again and again, and rise from the ashes when needed, like a phoenix !

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BZbodklWa7Q_k1cwv1Efjs9c-aRD_88r/view?usp=drive_link