Seen from above, the painting depicts a crouching human figure, face buried in their hands, in a gesture of anguish or defeat. At their feet, a hat holds a scattering of coins: a stark image of poverty and hopelessness. The palette-knife texture and the dark, earthy tones heighten the drama of the scene.
The work speaks to both social conscience and inner reflection: is this the awakening of awareness or the end of dignity? Are we looking at another person, or seeing ourselves reflected in them? The painting becomes a moral and existential mirror.
“One day, you will open the balcony doors of your comfortable home and, as if by magic, behold this painting at your feet…
Its meaning takes many forms: it may be a denunciation of social injustice, or a symbol of an inner splitting of the self, in which we see ourselves stripped of all pretence.
That is why I call it Beginning or End: the beginning of life if we respond to our reality, or the end of life if we relinquish our will.”
V. de Espona