Gestes rituels 1919

Boleslas Biegas made this painting, called Gestes rituels, with oil on canvas at an unknown date. The painting is a whirlwind of dark blues and yellows sectioned into geometric shapes. The palette is heavy, thick, and brooding. Biegas uses the paint almost sculpturally, creating texture and depth. The woman's face in profile is particularly striking. Her gaze is intense, her features angular, as if carved from stone. Each colour is meticulously applied, creating a mosaic-like effect. And then there are those hands, raised in what could be supplication or perhaps a blessing. The composition recalls stained glass or Byzantine icons, yet it also anticipates the fractured forms of Cubism. This piece makes me think a little of Hilma af Klint and her spiritual approach to painting. In the end, the painting remains enigmatic, a testament to the power of art to evoke mystery and ambiguity.