Circe and Anatol 1926

Robert Lewis Reid made this painting, Circe and Anatol, with oil on canvas. It's this shimmering surface made of gentle brushstrokes. There's this overall golden hue, like a memory or a dream, punctuated with soft blues and greens. Imagine Reid, brush in hand, coaxing these figures into being. What was he thinking as he built up these layers of paint, these shimmering forms? The paint seems thinly applied, almost translucent, which gives it this ethereal quality. It's not about sharp details, but more about capturing a mood, a fleeting moment. See how the crane in the background seems to float in this golden space. It’s a gesture, a kind of release. I wonder if Reid was looking at other painters like Whistler, who also worked in these dreamy, atmospheric ways. I love how artists keep talking to each other across time! Painting isn't about answers, it’s about questions, and Reid offers us a beautiful one here.