The vision of Bob Thompson, a figurative painter working in the midst of Abstract Expressionism, began with inspiration from the Old Masters that he transformed into brightly-hued, energetic compositions. He was at the center of the multi-racial Beat scene, his life and career cut short by a tragic early death at the age of 28. Thompson left behind an impressive body of work in various media that tells the story of an enormously talented and innovative artist who “seemed in the 1960s to be trying to paint all the history of art into one whole.” [1] He drew from centuries of art history, borrowing subject matter and compositions from European masters, which he suffused with a colorful palette and lyricism reminiscent of the Fauves. Thompson spent two years in Paris in the early 1960s and returned to New York with a large body of figurative works reflecting his signature style: the complex interweaving of flattened forms of subjects both real and imagined.

The subject of Satyr and Maiden references the recurring motif of Greek mythology, often symbolizing tension between untamed nature and civilization or lust and purity. As shown in the present work, satyrs are typically depicted as half goat, half man. They were known for their love of wine and women and represented untamed nature, while the maiden or nymph represents innocence, purity, and civilization.

[1] Michael Brenson, “Black Artists: A Place in the Sun,” The New York Times, March 12, 1989