"Yvain Mad" by Candice Raquel Lee

Yvain Mad (edition of 4 in cast-stone)

Size (in): 17.5L x 13.5W x 9"H; weight: 25 lbs.
$750 CAD including shipping. (Also available in limited-edition bronze by request).

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The Sculpture: My sculpture depicts the moment when the sleeping Yvain is about to be discovered and cured of his insanity as described at right. He is nude and obviously tormented, as his facial expression and contorted posture show. He has one hand on his head and another on his heart, the two sources of his disturbance; on the finger of his left hand the mark of his beloved's ring, which was taken from him, is still visible. His masculine vulnerability is apparent in the fetal posture he maintains. From a mythical perspective, he also represents the archetypal "sleeping god," like Adonis, Attis, and Osiris, whose awakening heralds the symbolic return of spring, of love, renewal, and rebirth.

I have completed Yvain Mad in a white cast stone edition of only four. As can be seen in the images, the sculpture has the look of alabaster or marble which captures the symbolic winter of Yvain's sleep while reinforcing the classical style of the piece. There is also something unintentionally Art Deco about him, perhaps in the highly angular nature of his pose.

Yvain Mad is available as well upon request in bronze.

The Story: This is a sculpture drawn from the pages of a medieval romance by Chretien de Troyes called Yvain, or the Knight with the Lion. Yvain, a knight from King Arthur's court, wins the love of a powerful and magical lady but is tempted away from home by his male buddies to participate in jousts and tournaments. He promises his wife to return in a year, but forgets the deadline completely and loses the love of his lady, after which he goes insane, wandering the countryside naked and wild until he is eventually found and cured.

E-mail: candice@candiceraquel.com | Phone: 519.853.9037