Narcissus and Goldmund
Ivan Cangelosi © 2010
170X113 cm
Ink on paper
Technique – Handwriting of the whole novel of Hermann Hesse – German
Material – Pens and paper
Category -Philosophy/Existentialism
Private collection
About the novel – Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse is a story, written between April 1927 and March 1929, and published in 1930. The story is about the friendship between the two main characters, Narcissus, the pious teaching assistant in a convent school, and Goldmund, a student. Both are in their own way, special people in search of perfection. While Narcissus approaches the idea of a perfect life and of God through a spiritual and religious way, Goldmund approaches the same subjects through art and a free life.
Description of the painting – This work depicts two bicycles placed on the rocks in front of the sea. The two bikes represent two ways of life (two ways of searching truth and happiness) which are those of the two protagonists of the novel, Narcissus and Goldmund. The fact that bicycles are depicted together, side by side, is to represent a sort of final meeting point of two ways of looking at life; in other words, of two opposite philosophies of life but both aimedat acommon goal(the common meeting point), indeed truthand happiness.