Ellen Holtzblatt

I Have Let You See It With Your Own Eyes
oil on panel
34 x 48 in.

I Have Let You See It With Your Own Eyes, a self‑portrait, explores the concepts of internally and externally imposed limitations on my dreams. The title of the painting comes from Deuteronomy 34:4, in which Moses is not allowed to enter Israel. Instead, God takes him to a mountaintop where Moses is permitted to view the land from a distance. In this painting, like Moses, the figure views the land without being able to touch it.

I created this painting at a time of transition in my life, defending the truth of my feelings and experiences. Then and now, the question is whether to live as an observer with fear and regret or immersed in the life I want to lead. This painting is the crossroads, the decision that must be made every day.

© Ellen Holtzblatt