Oil on board
14.5'' x 11.5'', 37 x 29 cm (board)
20.5'' x 17.5'', 52 x 44 cm (frame)
Frame by House of Heydenryk.
Provenance: Collection Mark Seidenfeld, New York.
Erzulie, a prominent lwa (spirit) of love, beauty, and passion in Haitian Vodou. The heart motif is central to her iconography, frequently seen in her sacred veve (symbolic drawings) and associated altars.
Erzulie Freda (Rada): The goddess of luxury, romance, and beauty. She is syncretized with the Catholic Mater Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows), who is depicted with a heart pierced by swords. In Vodou, Erzulie Freda's sacred heart represents profound, often painful, romantic longing and ideal love. Her veve centers on a beautiful, stylized heart.