A rare and powerful example of Michael Ayrton’s mythologically driven output, Birth of Phanes (1958) embodies the artist’s enduring fascination with classical antiquity and metaphysical transformation. Rendered in richly textured mixed media, this expressive relief work channels ancient myth through a modern, almost existential lens.

The piece depicts the mythic birth of Phanes, the Orphic deity of creation, light, and procreation—emerging from the cosmic egg to bring order to chaos. The central figure appears to break forth from visceral reds and raw sculptural forms, a metaphor for the struggle and violence of creation. Ayrton’s mastery of texture, both painted and sculptural, gives the surface a dramatic intensity that echoes the themes of emergence, identity, and metamorphosis.