{"id":2046585,"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2046585"},"modified":"2026-07-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T21:00:00","slug":"cocoa-plantations-set-the-scene-for-divine-events-in-marc-padeus-memento-vivere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2046585","title":{"rendered":"Cocoa Plantations Set the Scene for Divine Events in Marc Padeu\u2019s \u2018Memento Vivere\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1409\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of a group of people sitting around in the shade of trees, with one person presenting a goat and another presenting a plate of melons\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 94 1\/2 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Larkin Durey, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Cocoa Plantations Set the Scene for Divine Events in Marc Padeu\u2019s \u2018Memento Vivere\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-07-16T08:51:15-05:00\">July 16, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F07%2Fmarc-padeu-memento-vivere-acrylic-paintings%2F&amp;title=Cocoa%20Plantations%20Set%20the%20Scene%20for%20Divine%20Events%20in%20Marc%20Padeu%27s%20%26%238216%3BMemento%20Vivere%27\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475898\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it,\u201d wrote stoic philosopher Lucius Seneca. The phrase appeared in his essay \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/dn790008.ca.archive.org\/0\/items\/SenecaOnTheShortnessOfLife\/Seneca%20on%20the%20Shortness%20of%20Life.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">De Brevitate Vitae,<\/a>\u201d or, \u201cOn the Shortness of Life,\u201d which he scratched into papyrus around 49 A.D. Nearly 2,000 years on, his words reflect what is still a fundamental concern of life\u2014how to spend it wisely? For artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marcpadeu\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marc Padeu<\/a>, the notion of humans\u2019 futile control of time forms the basis of a new suite of works in <em>Memento Vivere, <\/em>on view starting tomorrow at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.larkindurey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Larkin Durey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Padeu is known for merging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/marc-padeu\">scenes of daily life<\/a> with references to Renaissance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/essays\/painting-the-life-of-christ-in-medieval-and-renaissance-italy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">religious paintings<\/a>. Among his newest works, \u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d (\u201cThe promise and the lamb\u201d) most distinctly continues this theme. In the center of the composition, a young child is seated on the lap of his mother, both of whom are flanked by adults who bring gifts and tidings in a nod to the artistic tradition of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adoration_of_the_Magi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adoration of the Magi<\/a>, or the nativity.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"Detail of \u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1285\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-2.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of a group of people sitting around in the shade of trees, with one person presenting a goat and another presenting a plate of melons\" class=\"wp-image-475900\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cLa promesse et l\u2019agneau\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Latin for \u201cremember to live,\u201d the title nods to Seneca and serves as a reminder to grasp life by the reins before it\u2019s too late. It\u2019s also a complement to more common art historical theme of <em>memento mori, <\/em>or \u201cremember you will die,\u201d which serves a similar purpose of reminding the viewer that life is short and any wealth or grandeur one pursues means nothing when one is dead. Instead, it\u2019s important to focus on things that really matter: family, nature, craft, and so on.<\/p>\n<p>Padeu\u2019s narrative portray individuals and communities who work on the cocoa plantations in his native Cameroon. \u201cDays follow one another, harvests come round again and yet, despite this ebb and flow of life, his figures are caught outside of time, slipping between past, present and future,\u201d the gallery says. The artist infuses his compositions with a sense of divine birth and the mysterious sublime. \u201cEach painting is poised between promise and fate, light and shade; the figures existing simultaneously in a spiritual and secular realm, neither saints nor heroes but with a growing awareness that life is a fragile gift.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Memento Vivere <\/em>opens on July 17 and continues through August 14 in London. See more on the artist\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marcpadeu\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"\u201cSous le poids de la coupe\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cSous le poids de la coupe\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cSous le poids de la coupe\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1689\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-8.jpg\" alt=\"an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of three Black women in white dresses huddled together, distraught, while a man lays on the ground and gestures toward them\" class=\"wp-image-475906\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSous le poids de la coupe\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"\u201cMemento vivere\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cMemento vivere\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cMemento vivere\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-7.jpg\" alt=\"an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of a Black man laying on the ground, amid leaves and a bunch of melons, holding a red cloth in his hand\" class=\"wp-image-475905\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cMemento vivere\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 66 7\/8 x 78 3\/4 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"Detail of \u201cMemento vivere\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cMemento vivere\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cMemento vivere\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1896\" height=\"1691\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-6.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of a Black man laying on the ground, amid leaves and a bunch of melons\" class=\"wp-image-475904\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cMemento vivere\u201d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"\u201cLa prix de la promesse\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cLa prix de la promesse\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 78 3\/4 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cLa prix de la promesse\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 78 3\/4 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1483\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-1.jpg\" alt=\"an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of a trio of Black men in a wooded area, in the shadow of leaves, skinning a white rabbit\" class=\"wp-image-475899\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLa prix de la promesse\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 78 3\/4 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475898\" title=\"\u201cLe chemin partag\u00e9\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 70 x 47 1\/4 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cLe chemin partag\u00e9\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 70 x 47 1\/4 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cLe chemin partag\u00e9\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 70 x 47 1\/4 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2789\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/padeu-5.jpg\" alt=\"an acrylic painting by Marc Padeu of two young Black people wearing white garments, one holding the reins of a goat, looking knowingly at one another\" class=\"wp-image-475903\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLe chemin partag\u00e9\u201d (2026), acrylic on canvas, 70 x 47 1\/4 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After 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All images courtesy of the artist and Larkin Durey, shared with permission Cocoa Plantations Set the Scene for Divine Events in Marc Padeu\u2019s \u2018Memento Vivere\u2019 July 16, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark \u201cIt\u2019s not that we have a short [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2046585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2046585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2046585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2046585\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2046585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2046585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2046585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}