Vigil at the Broken Crown

Description

The armored man lies still on the stone as a woman bends over him, close enough that the surrounding ruins seem to disappear. In front of them, the broken crown gives off smoke beside a candle, roses, a scepter, and a cracked skull. Those symbols make clear that more than one life has ended. The work refuses to let power overshadow mourning. She may have lost a king, a lover, an enemy, or all three at once. The full moon and empty arches hold the scene in silence while the crown burns itself out. Whatever happens to the realm next, this moment belongs to the two people beneath the armor and title.