Bay 1924

Boleslas Biegas made this painting, *Bay*, and he’s taken us to a strange place, maybe somewhere from a dream. It’s at night; the colour palette is dark blues, browns, and grays, giving a mysterious vibe. You can almost see Biegas mixing his paints, trying to get the right shade for the sky. And there's this building – is it a castle or a house? It’s got faces on it! Did Biegas know the building would end up looking so imposing? I love that he let it happen; he must have been thinking about symbols and myths. The dark, towering trees around the building remind me of Böcklin’s Isle of the Dead, something really popular at the turn of the century. Artists are always looking at each other’s work, borrowing, stealing – it’s all part of the fun. This kind of painting is about feeling your way through the dark, trusting your vision, and embracing the unexpected.