Don Quijote 1965

Here's Esteban Frances' stage set design for Don Quijote. Look at the way the surface almost disappears into a violet haze. Imagine him, cigarette in mouth, peering through the smoke, trying to get that just-so effect of light against dark. What’s so cool about a painting like this is the way it sets a mood, through colour and repetition, with layer upon layer of intention. You can almost feel him thinking about the play as he paints, right? Frances lays down these very simple brushstrokes, one after another, trying to get at the essence of what this mysterious stage set needs to communicate, what mood he wants it to evoke. It’s like he’s building a world in front of our eyes, a place of fantasy and drama. Each brushstroke is a decision, a thought, a feeling. And that, my friends, is the magic of painting.