Exegesis THE EMPEROR (IlIl) Sentences 7–9
7 Let the water flow through time, for it is through time that chaos unfolds
8 You will measure the prototype in a harmonious dimension
9 The size will be adapted for both the eye and the journey, suitable for a close-up view and distant travel
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7 “Let the water flow through time, for it is through time that chaos unfolds”
The water of watercolor is the medium of transformation and passage. When applied to paper, it spreads freely, creating unpredictable forms and opening a fertile chaos: each drop follows its own logic, blending chance and beauty. In this freedom, the potential of the work is revealed. Then, drying stabilizes this flow: what was once fluid and ephemeral becomes permanent, frozen in time as a memory of the wet moment. The Emperor, witness to this process, sees in this metamorphosis the subtle balance between chance and order, where human creation aligns with the hidden rhythms of the universe.
8 “You will measure the prototype in a harmonious dimension”
The Emperor becomes a geometer and master of proportions. The “harmonious dimension” evokes the golden ratio and sacred proportions, found in nature, sacred architecture, and classical art. Measuring the prototype in this way is to inscribe the creation within an invisible network of universal laws, where mathematical rigor embraces artistic intuition. Each watercolor thus becomes a microcosm of structure, reflecting the relative perfection of earthly and cosmic order.
9 “The size will be adapted for both the eye and the journey, suitable for a close-up view and distant travel”
The watercolors, small in size (16 × 26 cm, following the golden ratio 16 × 25.888 rounded), are both intimate and practical. Their format allows for close-up viewing, where the eye can get lost in the delicate chaos of pigments and details, like miniature primitive icons or fragments of tiny worlds. Yet they are also easily transportable: in a suitcase, they travel with the painter, carrying their universe of fluidity and unpredictability. The Emperor sees in them the meeting of sensibility and practicality, between the exploration of details and the freedom to move — a balance between intimate perception and universal reach.
