These are considered his most important paintings and are recognized as virtuoso statements on a symphonic scale. However, the artist cautions that his paintings are many-faceted views of the world and do not possess a single fixed meaning. Such ambiguity is characteristic of much 1980s and 1990s art. An adult male to the far left gazes upon a variety of younger faces embodying various cultural types. Three figures shed tears, suggesting mourning.
Battleships appear in several places.
Thoughts of lost youth, martyrdom, victory and loss all seem to be possible responses to these images. A second major motif is a series of vessels that suggest distillation or alchemy. A major endeavor of medieval alchemists was to change one thing into another, particularly lead into gold. A related theme comes from baroque art. This concept is implied by the presence of blooming flowers juxtaposed with insects, including a fly and spider.