The Great Waltz 1972

Robert Peak created "The Great Waltz," and from the looks of it, it was made for a movie poster. I see a painting that’s all about swirling movement and romantic color, like the way a waltz builds up in the music and then explodes on the dance floor. I imagine Peak working on this, maybe with music playing, trying to capture the feeling of joy and the elegance of the waltz. I am drawn to the way the figures are rendered, they're not overly detailed but full of life. I think it's interesting how Peak uses the circle to frame the scene, almost like a snow globe, and the chandelier hanging there like some kind of divine clock. There is a real mix of detail and looseness, a constant back and forth. Painters are always looking at each other, you know? Playing off what came before. Peak, in his way, seems to be building on the work of artists before him. Painting, ultimately, is this ongoing conversation, a way of working through ideas with our hands and eyes.