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Piece that inspired me: Jean-Léon Gérôme's "Bashi-Bazouk."
When we walk through a museum and look at the paintings, we're really searching for something else. We're looking for the stories and emotions frozen inside them. So I decided to write a story for Gérôme's painting, set in Ottoman times, combined with a true historical event.
The Story: Suleyman the Magnificent was one of history's great rulers. At the age of 72, too weak to even fight from horseback, he still led his army on what would be his final campaign, toward the fortress of Szigetvár. On the outskirts of that city, he passed away.
To avoid losing the war, and to protect the soldiers' morale, his death was kept secret from the army for forty-two days.
I combined this true event with our hero's journey. He's an irregular soldier, a Bashi-Bazouk, someone who doesn't take orders and was never meant to be kept in line. But now he has to keep the one secret bigger than any order he's ever refused: the death of his Sultan.
The Piece: I combined this story with music to create my submission for the FLORA Museum Challenge. For the sound I wanted to sound of Chris Staples' sound and lyrics style, but in different time.
When I look at this painting now, I don't just see a soldier anymore. I see a man carrying a secret that lasted forty-two days.
I shortened the music and video a bit for consistency and to keep the core idea front and center in this format, but I might share the full-length version later on. I just want to remind you again; our hero's story is fiction, but inspired from true stories.
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