The Mathematical Enigma of the Father, the Son & the Ghoulish Host

The main theme here is inequality. The painting is divided into two sections where the father to the left, holding up a candelabrum, enjoys an abundance of fruits, wine, and a scarcely-clad young woman who is attentive to his needs.

On the opposite side, stands his son carrying a single candle. Behind him there is a huge chest that only be opened by the key held by the mysterious figure standing between them. The son is standing in the kitchen area, while behind his father there is a window to freedom where the stars are shining.

The ghoulish host at the center of the painting is offering the father the key to unlock the patrimony in the chest behind the son. Simultaneously, he is beckoning the son to obey by bowing to the order, the dominance and the sheer power that he is facing.

On the table cloth there are two references that can be found in the Bible - the fish and the wine that Jesus multiplied, and the vengeful declaration of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

There are several trinities of things present: the three participants in the triangle drama, the torches behind the ghoulish host, the copper containers on the wall and the steaming earthenware pots on the stove.

The ghoulish host is beckoning to the son, inviting him to climb up the staircase that is replacing his chest and ends in the darkness of where his face should be.