Let It Come Down

“Let It Come Down”

Continues the conflict of the local inhabitants with the wild creatures of the woods. War is hideous, absurd, and reduces humanity to its lowest level. I painted the rackets because of the ridiculousness of them, but also because I like how they fit the composition. The setting is partly invented and partly borrowed from where I was living at the time. It was a wide valley between two steep ridges that served as a wonderful stage. The title comes from William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” after Macbeth orders mercenaries to kill Banquo. At the end Banquo states, “It will rain tonight”, to which the First Murderer replies “Let it come down”. At that point the murderers jump Banquo and kill him.