I wanted to paint something both captivating and haunting that referenced classic civilization. Last year we went to Italy and Greece and that experience provided the inspiration for the completed painting you see.

It was in Pompeii that I remember looking upon a plaster cast of a young girl lying in a prone position and pondered her tragic last moments. There was a certain beauty and grace in her form, despite the horrendous circumstances of her death 2000 years ago.

Later, when we arrived in Athens, Greece, we went to the National Archeological Museum. It was there that I was taken aback by one of the most beautiful statues I have ever seen: a sleeping maenad taken from the Athenian Acropolis. The statue dates back to the Roman period of the first century AD.

With these two primary sources of inspiration, I created the painting you see which is probably the most complex work I’ve ever done.

The open window provides a glimpse of Pompeii in the waning hours of sunset with residents carrying on with life, unaware of the looming threat in the distance.

And the fresco on the wall is meant to appear as a foreshadowing from the gods, who know all too well that life will not go on as usual. I tried to mimic the style of Roman frescoes while still giving he gods an interceding presence.

While this painting was a challenge, I certainly enjoyed making it. I love telling a story artistically, and this was an opportunity to do just that.