Les Sylphides 1922

Laura Knight made this painting of ballerinas, called "Les Sylphides", in oil on canvas. The painting is full of movement. I can imagine Laura Knight watching rehearsals, trying to capture the fleeting beauty of the dance. What's it like to be on that stage? The dancers’ white tutus are like soft clouds. The creamy paint has been applied thinly in layers, giving them an almost translucent appearance. Each dancer caught in her own pose, one mid air, defying gravity. Think about Degas and his paintings of dance - there's a similar concern with light and movement. Artists looking at artists and learning from each other. Painting is just a big conversation anyway, right? It's not about perfection but about capturing a feeling. And isn't that what art is all about?