Les Cerises 1922 - 1926

George Barbier made "Les Cerises," or "The Cherries" in 1925. It's a print, but it feels like something lighter, almost a watercolor, because of the way the colors are laid down in flat, gentle washes. Look at the way the pinks and blues in the tree trunk blend together so smoothly. The artist isn't trying to create a real, three-dimensional form, but rather a decorative image. I love how the artist uses outlines in black to define the shapes, like a stained-glass window. It makes the whole composition feel both elegant and playful. The colors are also very striking. The soft pinks and blues are contrasted by the bold reds of the cherries and the black outlines. This adds a sense of drama and excitement to the image. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, who also used flat planes of color and bold outlines to create his iconic images. Ultimately, it speaks to the ongoing artistic conversation across time.