Le Temps 1929

'Le Temps' was painted by Georges Valmier, it looks like in oil, and I’m guessing it was sometime in the early 20th century. There's this playful arrangement of shapes and colors, almost like a stage set, and it’s all about time, or the illusion of it, anyway. The texture here is so smooth, almost like it's been flattened. You can hardly see a brushstroke! Then you have the bold color palette, contrasting and yet somehow harmonious, those reds and greens against the more muted browns. I love how Valmier simplifies the clock's face into these abstract forms, a circle, a few lines, and Roman numerals and it's really just about how we perceive time, rather than time itself. Looking at this piece I start thinking about others doing similar things at the time, like Léger maybe. But ultimately, ‘Le Temps’ has its own, unique signature. It's an invitation to reflect on our relationship with time, memory, and the constant flux of life.