Melissena’s Bath
acrylics on canvas
approx. 170 x 150 cm
by Pantelis Melissinos
1991
Melissena’s Bath by Pantelis Melissinos depicts a surreal encounter between Melissena and her ancestor, Cecrops, a serpentine figure appearing behind a hovering watermelon — a symbol of nature’s vitality.
Emerging from a cascading waterfall, Melissena’s masked form radiates mystery against a backdrop of primordial chaos. Cecrops’ All-Seeing Eye, positioned in the bottom left, bridges past and present, suggesting cosmic insight and ancestral memory.
The fusion of geometric precision and organic movement invites reflection on heritage, identity, transformation, and the unseen forces shaping existence.
Through myth, symbolism, and surreal theatricality, Melissinos transforms the scene into a powerful meditation on origins, memory, and the mysterious continuity between the human, the natural, and the ancestral.