La rencontre 1936

Jacques Hérold made "La rencontre," in an unknown year, and with an unknown medium. The way the artist renders this painting is so arresting; the figures seem to emerge from a space between bodies and landscapes, inviting the viewer to decode what these shapes could possibly be. There is a gorgeous quality to how the colors have been applied; the thinness of the paint, its opacity, and how the layers almost appear like a stain, rather than an oil painting. The dark green stem-like figure, with an intense red against the grey, suggests a vibrant, blooming energy. I’m reminded of the work of Remedios Varo, with her surreal and dream-like spaces that invite us to explore the spaces between consciousness and reality. Ultimately, this painting embraces the elusive and multiple ways we can interpret the world around us.