I have been thinking about Camus' 1942 novel 'The Myth of Sisyphus' for at least 30 years. It's a story very close to heart because of Camus' insistence that, yes, we have our rocks to roll up hills only to see them fall down again, but we can enjoy this process. Why not - it's happening anyway?

The original drawing is based on Titian's masterpiece, Sisyphus, painted in 1548. Titian took the liberty of having him carry, rather than roll his rock, making his burden all the greater.

Bacchus also makes an appearance in these drawings. This is another Titian inspired drawing. It depicts Bacchus leaping out of cheetah-drawn chariot towards Ariadne upon discovering her abandoned by her previous lover on Naxos (Greece). It is love at first sight, and Ariadne's initial fear of the ebullient Bacchus (god of wine) soon melts away. 'He raised her to heaven and turned her into a constellation' - according to the text about the 1523/3 painting - named Bacchus and Ariadne - from The National Gallery in London.

Dim. (framed) 43.5cm x 35.8cm