Crimson Sunset 

"Crimson Sunset" is an gouache painting by Eyvind Earle. Earle, born in 1916, lived through the Great Depression, served in the Navy during the Second World War, and later, as a background artist, contributed to Disney films such as "Sleeping Beauty." In this landscape, Earle presents us with a crimson monolith set against an ethereal, cloud-strewn sky. The geometric precision of the structure contrasts sharply with the soft, almost romantic treatment of the natural elements. Earle’s landscapes often evoke a sense of longing or awe. The solitary horses in the foreground, dwarfed by the immense architecture, hint at themes of human insignificance in the face of grand historical forces. The vivid color and stylized forms pull us into a realm that feels both familiar and distant. What stories do you think these forms and colors tell? How do you see yourself, and your history, in this landscape?