Various scenes surrounding a mirror message

Previous title, replaced January 2025: A boy seated with mice; a musical stave; flowers and trees; a glaring bull; actors on a stage; faces in anguish; a tablet extensively inscribed with thoughts on life; and other subjects. Watercolour by H. Edwards, 1961.

Painting of various subjects including a boy seated with mice, a musical stave, flowers and trees, a glaring bull, an actor on a stage, and faces in anguish. In the centre is a mirror message in red and blue ink which reads as follows when reflected; "Soon passion = feeling = suffering. Ecstatic pain. Belief. If. Why? ????? ????????. DeathSleep. Oblivion. Comfort. Peace. Improvement. Change. If change occurs there must be relative time. Can be no change, no improvement in eternity. Can be no cleansing nor purgation through Purgatory. Continued life for Eternity. Hopeless. No improvement. Rather oblivion than inescapable loss. Abelard: "This is life eternal, that that never is absent which is always loved." Augustine: "Si vis me esse in lucis [sic], benedictus sisSi vis me esse in tenebris, sis iterum benedictus." Children of darkness cannot bare to be dragged in lucem. Light = life. Life = privilege = responsibility. Responsibility = judgment. Mea culpa. Authority. Authoritative statements. ???? ???? ???? ?????. Death. No survival where no soul. Destruction of the soul so no survival". Signed "H Edwards" on the front. Creator's name and date of creation inscribed on the reverse, probably by Edward Adamson.

August 1961

1 painting gouache on paper

Prior to Wellcome Collection, this work was stored in a folder on 1st floor, Reay House, Lambeth Hospital.

This work is untitled; the title has been supplied by the cataloguer for identification purposes.