Torch Bearers

By: Richard III

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Dimensions: 6in x 8in

Year: 2020

Status: Private Collection / Available

Torchbearers : Testing the Union

Torch Bearers serves as a sacred witness to the endurance of the human union, moving beyond the simple narrative of a fall to reveal the moment the first union was tested within the Cave of Treasures. Drawing from the Books of Adam and Eve, the painting captures a truth not found in traditional scripture: that the strength of the male and female is not found in their individual survival, but in their refusal to be divided. They are cast into an absolute blackness—a void that seeks to swallow them—yet they move as a single, fortified front.

The true authority of the piece is anchored in their inseparable hand-to-hand connection, a homage to the union that remains the primary target of the adversary. Surrounding them in the deep black are the demonic apparitions and grasping hands of discord, haunting reminiscences that seek to cause harm by breaking their grip. Yet, as they stay together, they bear the Torch of the Logos—the light of Christ—high above the darkness. This revelation proves that as long as the union remains sanctified and hand-in-hand, they carry the power to illuminate the trials and tribulations of the exile, finding their way through the void as one flesh.