He's almost there. Behind him, through the grey mist, the woman he loves is following. In front of him, the light is getting brighter. All he has to do is keep walking.
He only has to not turn around.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld, 1861. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The myth
Orpheus was the greatest musician of ancient Greece. When his wife Eurydice died from a snake bite, he went down into the underworld to bring her back. His music was so beautiful that even Hades, the god of the dead, was moved. Eurydice could leave, he said, on one condition: Orpheus must walk ahead of her and not look back until they reached the world of the living.
At the very last moment, overcome by doubt, he turned. And she slipped back into the shadows, forever.
Corot's version
Corot was a painter of mist and silver trees, of half-light and memory. He shows the moment just before the end of the story: Orpheus raising his lyre towards the light, holding Eurydice's hand, not yet turning. Behind them, pale ghostly figures linger among the trees.
It's a painting about hope, and how fragile it is.
Walking forward
At the turn of a year, it's natural to look back: at what we lost, what we got wrong, what we should have done. Sometimes looking back helps. Sometimes, like Orpheus, we look back simply because we can't quite trust what's ahead.
- Take a short walk, indoors or out. Ten steps is enough.
- As you walk, keep your eyes softly on the space in front of you.
- With each step, think of one thing you're bringing with you: a person, a skill, a memory you treasure.
- If your mind turns back, notice it, and gently return your attention to the next step.
- At the end, stop, breathe, and look ahead for a moment before you turn around.
Greek myths have a lot to say about these moments. Try Ariadne's thread, for when you feel lost, or Penelope's loom, about waiting.
Something steady to walk with
"(letters) On Art" brings a letter and a postcard to your door every month, with the seasonal printed issue of "(meditating) On Art". Something steady to walk with, month after month.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi