Asleep 1937

Toyen’s painting "Asleep" is a window into a dream, painted with muted tones and a smooth, almost surreal touch. I imagine Toyen, brush in hand, coaxing this strange figure into being, perhaps in a fugue state, layering the paint with a delicate touch, building up the textures like whispers. What was she thinking when she painted this? What were her dreams made of? The figure is facing away from us, almost as if she is beckoning us to come with her. The long white cloak, the pale green net, that strange brown plain. It reminds me a little of De Chirico, only more tender. It feels like a conversation, not just with other artists but with the deepest parts of herself. It’s this constant exchange, this looking and responding, that keeps painting alive. It’s not about answers, but about keeping the questions open, letting the ambiguity be.