Drifting 2006

Odd Nerdrum made this painting, Drifting, and whatever year it was, it was a trip. The colors are so muted, it’s like looking at a dream, or maybe a memory fading into the background of time. The skin tones are pale, almost translucent, painted with thin layers that let the light peek through. It’s like he’s not just painting bodies, but capturing the very essence of being. The way the figures float, they remind me of Francis Bacon’s distorted figures, but with a touch of Renaissance grace. Look at the way the light catches the edge of the lower figure’s leg, see how it dissolves into the darkness? It's like life itself, beautiful and fragile. Nerdrum’s not just showing us a scene, he’s inviting us to feel something, to drift along with these figures into the unknown.