Galileo Galilei (2016)

Every generation is gifted with a brilliant mind who is unafraid to challenge the status quo and take on the system for the betterment of humanity. During the late 16th Century, this honor firmly belonged to Galileo Galilei, the astronomer, physicist, and polymath, who changed the very foundations of astrophysics and helped us understand the solar system with greater clarity. His work in heliocentrism was so revolutionary that it warranted the wrath of the Roman Inquisition. They forced the great thinker to spend the rest of his life under house arrest, simply because he imagined a situation where the Earth was not the center of the known universe.

In order to depict Galilei on canvas, Virtosu has chosen to create a piece which features a celestial object resting firmly atop numerous abstract shapes. This heavenly body is definitive in its form, while the various dysfunctional structures seem to almost squabble beneath it. The circular object is no doubt the sun - the source of much inspiration for Galilei and his line of work. The objects beneath include various segments of society attempting to fathom the true nature of reality. While only one of these fragments was able to accurately understand the purpose and structure of the cosmic world, the others attempted to dissuade this fragment from the truth and enforce a version that is purely based on biblical value.

The reddish form dominating the painting represents the Catholic Church and the Inquisition, while Galilei is seen fending off the advances of the powerful organization in order to leave an indelible mark on the scientific community.