The Inevitable End

Title: 

The Inevitable End (Achilles Series)


Creator: 

Marek Valovič (b. 1974)

Nationality: 

Slovak

Date Created: 

2024

Medium: 

Oil on cotton canvas


Physical Dimensions: 

31.5 x 23.6 in. | 80 x 60 cm  (H x W)

Technique: 

Baroque Tenebrism | Chiaroscuro

Materials: 

Crafted using traditional 17th-century methods on a pre-primed cotton canvas. The process begins with a rugged, high-build underpainting, where highlights are sculpted with physical, opaque mass to establish a striking painterly bravura. Once cured, the composition is developed through a superposition of glazes using Sun-thickened Linseed Oil. These final layers are executed using pure earth pigments with no white used in the glazes, ensuring the shadows remain vibrant, translucent, and integrated with the ground. To guarantee archival longevity, the surface is protected by a professional dual-layer varnish system (Laropal A81 and Regalrez 1094) enhanced with Tinuvin® UV stabilizers, providing structural and aesthetic stability for generations to come.

Provenance: 

Artist's Studio | Slovakia.

Availability:

Available for private acquisition | Price upon request

Rights: 

© Marek Valovič. All rights reserved.

Download The Inevitable End
 
(PDF,  0.58MB)
The Inevitable End | Marek Valovič . 80 x 60 cm | Oil on Linen | 2024 . Pure earth pigment glazing without white, Visible texture, Traditional Gesso, RSG, Chiaroscuro technique.
The Fall of Achilles | Marek Valovič . 150 x 110 cm | Oil on Linen | 2024 . Baroque tenebrism, lead litharge. Hand-primed linen, traditional gesso, flemish black oil with lead litharge, sun-thickened linseed oil, handmade pigments, Bratislava artist
The Threshold of Tartarus | Marek Valovič . 200 x 160 cm | Oil on Canvas | 2025 . Monumental composition with 11 figures, Hades' owl of prophecy, Cerberus on royal purple, SiO2 texture mediums.
Supper at Emmaus | Marek Valovič . 200 x 160 cm | Oil on Linen | 2023 . Family portrait with wife and daughters, Caravaggio-inspired composition, still life with bread and fruit, side window lighting, multi-layered oil glazing.
St John the Baptist | Marek Valovič . 180 x 110 cm | Oil on Linen | 2024 . Contemporary Saint John, camel skin loincloth, wooden cross, raised finger, lamb of God, emotional Tenebrism, Laropal & Regalrez finish.
Judith and Holofernes | Marek Valovič . 70 x 50 cm | Oil on Cotton Canvas | 2022 . Tenebrist self-portrait as Holofernes, 20th-century officer's saber, dramatic top lighting, bloody blade.

The Artist's Perspective | Historical & Technical Context



Measure this work with the same honesty you use to judge your own soul.  In this work, I embraced the most rigorous methods of the Old Masters. The underpainting was established in high-key tones, over which I applied numerous layers of earth pigment glazes. The uniqueness lies in the complete absence of white paint in the upper layers, allowing light to penetrate deep into the paint structure and reflect off the luminous ground. This process creates an 'inner light' and optical depth that no digital medium can replicate.
Achilles is captured in a moment of absolute truth—not as a hero in battle, but as a man confronted with his own finality. The blood dripping to the ground symbolizes the escaping life force, irrevocably released by Paris's arrow. It is an allegory of the fragility of human fate, viewed through the lens of Baroque Tenebrism.

True depth is not achieved by adding light, but by masterfully layering the darkness. Just as the most profound truths of a man’s life are revealed only when the ‘white paint’ of his ego is stripped away, leaving only the raw, earth-toned reality of his soul.
Back to beginning of page | button
logo Marek Valovic art painting
signature Marek Valovic art painting
© MAREK VALOVIČ | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED