Pears
“….but you bent to her, Pear,
and offered yourself, breast
and milk both, the earth
grown pendulous and sweet.”
-Nan Fry
The above quote is from the poem “Pear” by Nan Fry from her collection “Relearning the Dark”. It is published on the web at Endicott Studio of Mythic Art. A fabulous site. I have always loved the shape of the pear. I see it repeated in so many places in a womens figure. Pears are ancient symbols. Found often in the classical texts to be associated with greek goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Pomona. In the Victorian language of the flowers they mean affection.
It is not terribly surprising. They are from the same botanical family as the rose. Their blossoms even have a soft rose scent. The grow on trees and vines. They are soft very soft and sweet with milky pale flesh- much like breasts of the Greek goddesses they are associated with. In the Odyssey they are said to be the gift of the gods.
So with so much room to play with them in myth I sat down saturday to do this first study of them. I am very happy with the study, though am noticing how difficult it is to scan paintings with a nice gum arabic seal over them. Too much light is reflected and I shall have to work on that. I can’t wait to get started on the universal goddess series I am developing sketches for.
