The distinctive features of Hanibbal Alkhas’ works, including application of paint, obscure drawings, themes, and symbolic references, are clearly evident in this work. While he attached special significance both to drawing and color, it seems that he had concentrated on line and drawing in this particular painting. Colors and icons are embraced by certain geometric forms. Dark, cold paint is applied to the background, whereas the encased elements tend to be painted in warm, light colors. Two birds are flying in the uppermost part of the painting across what seems to be the sky. Colorful windows also display forms that could signify animals and human figures. The artist purposefully or inadvertently creates a ritual, mysterious tone through the existing themes and compositions; he makes use of horned cows, swimming schools of fish, and two figures that bring to mind the sacred world of altar and divine icons of Jesus. Such archaism that is sometimes similar to paintings of human figures in caves and on old rocks is evident in many of his works, including the present painting. Figures that evoke sacred historical icons hold out their hands in an act of prayer in a ritual setting to enhance the metaphysical and divine quality of the work.
Qualities such as an expressive figurative design, an adherence to themes, and an idealistic commitment to Iranian modernism has always been associated with Hanibbal Alkhas’ name. He was an artist whose beliefs and way of thinking opened a new chapter in Iranian Modernism. A successful painting instructor at various art colleges, Alkhas exerted a great influence on artists who are currently among major instructors of the same schools. In addition to introducing a new visual dialog in Iranian modern painting, Alkhas effected the emergence of a broad spectrum of painters inspired by him.
