The Alteration

With every great novel comes the daunting task of creating the best image to capture the essence of the story. The Alteration by Sir Kingsley Amis was one of those stories, it is a time reversal story where the reformation never happens and the Roman Catholic Faith becomes the only religion in the world, and unfortunately the creation of the castrate are still a part of their practices.

The protagonist is a young boy with a beautiful voice torn between his faith and those who want to save him from this practice.

I took on the overwhelming task of painting the inside of the central knave of the Vatican, however, in Amis's story the Vatican is less ornate then today, so I removed the Bernini and Michelangelo sculptures and gave the central hall a more austere look. I borrowed the choir vestments from a local catholic church and hired a great model, Shaun Deitrick to pose.

Original: sold