May 16, 1941 1941

Grace Pailthorpe made this oil painting on May 16, 1941, with this otherworldly palette of muted pinks, yellows, and blues. The colors feel alive and strange, like something under a microscope. There’s a real physicality to how she applies the paint, building up these smooth, rounded shapes. The surface has this soft, almost fleshy texture, and those thin, wiry lines scratched into the paint add a sense of depth. Look at that bright yellow dot on the side of the form, surrounded by a halo of tiny marks. It's like a sun, or maybe a cell, radiating energy outwards. All these elements create an emotional experience which seems both organic and dreamlike. Pailthorpe's work reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint – another artist exploring unseen worlds through abstraction. Ultimately, this painting embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own interpretations and experiences to the canvas.