The visible world is not what it seems to be - one thing conceals another.
Familiar themes in this painting:
The notion of concealment - expressed here most obviously by the covering of half the subject's face
Cutting and slicing - denoted by the wartime images of the sword and bayonets, as well as the scissors and the saw
The ladder - with its reference to raising up or to a higher perspective
In words:
Zatmenie - at the top of the painting - is the word for eclipse. It is has been divided into another two words that convey the notion of "beyond the dark"
Chastichinoe - at the bottom of the painting - is the word for partial. It has been divided in such away as to isolate the word 'chas' (hour) from the suffix of an adverbial adjective, -noe (hourly)
The spiritual elements (candle, the Orthodox church, the cross made of candle and sword) all seem to say that with time the scales (fish) will fall from our eyes, and we will truly see clearly.
