Untitled 1984

Boris Vallejo painted this scene, Untitled, with what looks like acrylic on board, in 1984. The man at the bottom looks to be holding her up… but she’s also a magnificent bird-woman about to take flight. I feel a sense of transformation here. I imagine Vallejo beginning with the figures, layering the colors to build the muscular forms, then adding the wings almost as an afterthought, letting them unfurl like a dream. And what’s with the phoenix? Is it a symbol of rebirth? Or just a cool stylistic motif from fantasy art and heavy metal album covers? I think fantasy is definitely in conversation with mythology. These motifs echo through time, reinvented by each artist who dares to pick up a brush. It all bleeds together, doesn’t it? This piece opens up a space where figures morph, transcend, and meanings multiply.