Gestes rituels 1919

Boleslas Biegas made 'Gestes rituels' with oil on canvas. It’s a tight composition, nearly all head and shoulders, dissected by arcs and curves, with warm yellows bumping up against cool blues. I imagine Biegas in his studio, patiently filling in these puzzle pieces, one by one. What was he thinking when he chose these colours, this geometry? The woman’s face is so still, so serene amidst all the swirling shapes. It’s like she’s found a pocket of calm within a storm. That raised hand, all lit up in yellow, what’s she doing? Is she blessing us, or warding us off? Maybe it's a bit of both. You know, the way we all hold contradictions inside of us, like a secret language, and painting helps us let it out. Biegas and other painters show us the way.