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Peter Lupkin
Not Windmills But Giants - Don Quixote Inspired Self Portrait in the Studio

2019

About the Item

The reversal of the famous Cervantes quote “not giants but windmills” where Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and attempts to joust with them. By reversing the quote I am stating that often times everyday pieces of the “scenery” around us are actually giants. Whether it be homelessness, as in the small painting upon the easel, or any number of societal problems. The painting is also a slight critique upon myself as an artist. While I am making a grandiose statement on canvas, I am also just one artist painting in his studio with his cat nonchalantly curled up by his feet. Peter Lupkin Not Windmills But Giants oil on canvas 72h x 36w in PLU034 The artwork I create is a visual statement of my moral philosophy. The language I use to convey this philosophy in my pieces is one of traditional symbolism, this being indoctrinated into my personality through an apprenticeship into a traditional stained glass studio at the age of 14 and continuing to the present day. I seek to create scenes and narratives that are at the same time realistic and fantastical. I often use pre-existing stories when I am developing an image. I will then take these narratives and expose a less studied side of them, or try to bring them into a contemporary context. Ultimately my goal is to use modern imagery in conjunction with traditional techniques and connect them with contemporary society, showing both the narrative’s and the method’s continued relevance.
  • Creator:
    Peter Lupkin (American)
  • Creation Year:
    2019
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 72 in (182.88 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Chicago, IL
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: PLU0341stDibs: LU55434883012
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