Camus Contemplates Dropping His Cigarette

There are indeed some days that I don't draw multicoloured horses. However, there isn't much of an audience for low-quality work that isn't related to something popular, so I tend not to post other things.

This is a simple underpainting based around the three possible solutions to the absurdist dilemma. Our "young Camus" contemplates whether he's able to "kick the habit" of "smoking". Dropping his cigarette would result in the ignition of the pages of scripture below him, leaving him trapped at the top of his tower (a scene he envisions to the right). The flames below him represent his confinement to the remaining two options: continue to stand (pointlessly, albeit defiantly) atop his tower for as long as he can, or choose the third option (suicide).

The metaphor of "quitting smoking" for the rejection of religion, portrays religion as a habit, or perhaps even an addiction. However, I explicitly decided against adding some kind of danger implicit to *not* burning the scripture, as a slight nod to the uncertainty of the situation and as a nod to Pascal's wager. From a religious standpoint, it could be argued that Camus would be foolish to drop his cigarette and eliminate one of his two viable options. Indeed, it could easily be interpreted that the resulting flames represent the fires of damnation (perhaps one of Camus' fears). Of course, this depends on the viewers perspective.

Kierkegaard and Camus are perhaps my two favourite philosophers. Both identified a very similar problem with meaning in human existence. They both came to very different conclusions as to how the problem must be resolved.

Of course, they both agree that suicide was never a viable option.

The imagery isn't exactly subtle, but I reasoned that on the internet nobody takes more than a dozen seconds to contemplate the statement made by any kind of art. Perhaps it's better to do away with some of the subtlety to present the fundamental dilemma more clearly.

In any case, it was nice to draw something different. I'm hoping that maybe when I'm done commissions and such, I'll be able to take a serious look at giving this sketch it's due justice and start painting over this underpainting.