Ballet 1952

Nicolas de Staël made this painting, *Ballet*, with oil on canvas, and it's a real meditation on form. The whole thing is built from these rectangular blocks of color, laid down with a decisive hand, almost like he’s building a wall, or maybe a stage set. There’s something so physical about the way he applies the paint, thick and opaque, you can almost feel the weight of each brushstroke. Look at the lower part of the painting, that horizon line of red, like a stage floor, so vibrant and anchoring the composition. Staël somehow creates a sense of depth and movement, it’s less about depicting dancers and more about capturing the energy and rhythm of the ballet itself. He's a bit like Morandi in that way, taking the everyday and turning it into something monumental. I find so much openness in this piece, and I think Staël would have been happy for us to come to our own conclusions.