Dreams and Fantasies no.1 1922

"Dreams and Fantasies no.1" was painted by Nils Dardel, sometime around 1922. The colour palette here is pastel and muted, which creates a strange kind of dream space. There's something deeply melancholic about the three figures at the edge of the platform. I keep coming back to the surface and the way the washes of paint blend together. They are translucent, allowing the surface below to subtly influence each successive layer. The artist seems to be exploring the tension between control and chance, carefully positioning the figures while allowing the colours to bleed freely. This can be seen on the dress of the figure on the right, where the brushstrokes are deliberately visible, leaving a residue of the painting's making. I think Dardel is in conversation with artists like Giorgio de Chirico, and even Edward Munch, but the real connection is to the world of theatre, perhaps Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Ultimately, this piece embraces ambiguity, leaving us with a sense of wonder and unanswered questions, as we each make our own reading of this strange scene.