Pan Drama

 "Pan Drama" is another of Joseph Keough's paintings of Vincenzo. This was previously titled, "The Return of Vincenzo", and represents another masterpiece by the master. In his words: "Vincenzo's return is like that of a ship in the sea, which when found has gone but never return". This descriptive style is used throughout the work, which meanders through space with an unsteady flow. There are no fixed sections or themes to the painting, and everything happens at the same speed.

Pan Drama

Vincenzo meets up with his old friend, Florian, on the threshold of his marriage to Juliette. The scene switches between their marriage and the morning of their death. We also have two different perspectives: Vincenzo's from the ground, where he is recalling his wedding day, and Florian's on the veranda overlooking the sunset, where he remembers the joyous reception that just occurred. The emotions pouring out of Vincenzo's eyes as he relives the scenes is like those of a true biographer looking back to relive key moments of his life.

A large portion of the work focuses on a single moment. This scene occurs shortly after Vincenzo and Florian's wedding night. The two are sitting at their feet in the garden, conversing in Italian. They begin to kiss and then Vincenzo places his hand on Florian's face. Florian pulls away, angry and hurt that Vincenzo had touched her. At this point in the painting we are so close to the two characters that it is nearly impossible to make out any facial expression.

Vincenzo continues on his way, not mentioning his feelings towards Florian, nor does he offer explanations to the why he was upset at the scene. All we know is that he had promised to leave her alone, but this does not stop him from attempting to reconcile with her again later in the painting. When he finally does, his offer is rejected yet again, but he will not let the opportunity pass, assuring Florian that he will leave her again one day. It is at this point that the painting transforms into a journey of Vincenzo's feelings for his wife, leading us to believe that this painting depicts events that occurred in their marriage.

In these paintings, Vincenzo is no longer just a husband and father; he has become a figurehead for all of Italy. The Vitruvian Man exhibits Vincenzo's ability to view art not as an art form separate from his life, but as a representation of all of Italy. The Vitruvian Man is Vincenzo's way of making sure that he is seen as a leader of the country, one who has put his career first and done everything possible to honor and recognize the memory of his wife. As such, the Vitruvian Man inspires other artists to not only see art as an art form, but as a way of conveying their own personal feelings and stories into their art.

In his paintings, Vincenzo seems to say that art can not simply be enjoyed on its own; it must be experienced in the moment. This is perhaps the most important lesson that one can take from the Vitruvian Man. While Vincenzo's wife may have played a big role in his creation of the Vitruvian Man, so did the love that he felt for his country during his lifetime. This art form represents a man who saw his life as an artist's life, one filled with moments of deep passion, tragedy, renewal, and remembrance.