End of the night 

In Joseph Lorusso’s painting “End of the Night,” we are confronted with a tableau of human connection and disconnection rendered with oil on canvas. The dominant visual element is the intimate embrace of a couple, a universal symbol of love and solace, contrasted by figures lost in solitude. The motif of embrace has ancient roots. Think of the protective arms of a mother goddess statue, the tender reunion depicted on a Roman sarcophagus, or even the desperate grasp of figures in times of war. This gesture, a primal need for connection, is juxtaposed here with the image of isolation: the woman staring pensively into her drink and the man, succumbed into oblivion. The embrace is deeply rooted in our collective unconscious. This image resonates with viewers on a profound level, stirring feelings of comfort, longing, and the ephemeral nature of human interaction. The embrace motif is a visual echo, a “memory engram” from our shared past.