Peacock With Ermine 

Lucia Heffernan’s painting presents us with a regal peacock adorned with human-like garments and an ermine, painted with oil. Here, the ermine traditionally symbolizes purity and royalty, a motif seen in Renaissance portraiture such as Leonardo da Vinci’s "Lady with an Ermine". By juxtaposing the ermine with a peacock, Heffernan creates a visual dialogue that bridges the historical symbolism of purity with the peacock's associations with pride and vanity. The peacock itself, often associated with vanity and beauty, carries a complex history, from ancient Rome, where it symbolized immortality, to its Christian interpretation as a symbol of resurrection. Heffernan seems to explore the tension between inner worth and outward appearance, delving into the psychological depths of self-perception. Like the cyclical nature of history, these symbols resurface, transformed, challenging us to reconsider their relevance across time.