Rising over 19,000 feet above the acacia studded plains of East Africa, the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point on the African continent. Often shrouded in mist, Kilimanjaro is a symbol of Africa itself, dramatically dwarfing its surroundings – including the stately elephant, largest of all land animals. Like the first explorers, Simon Combes fell under the spell of Kilimanjaro’s majesty, which appears in several of his paintings. Kilimanjaro Morning conveys the essence of Africa’s mood and environment. It’s a land of legends and mystery, a land of exotic beauty and vibrant color. Kilimanjaro Morning is a portrait of Africa in all its complexity: beautiful, mysterious, impenetrable. “I have sensations of déjà vu,” he said, “especially when I am alone on the sweeping plains or down in Olduvai Gorge where early man once lived. It’s as if this is not my first experience of Africa; that I have known these places somewhere in the past. It’s like coming home.”