The Monkeys at the Fair 1942

Edgar Chahine made "The Monkeys at the Fair" in 1942, and it's like he's captured a fleeting moment, a snippet of everyday life at the fair. The colours are muted, almost pastel-like, which gives the scene a dreamlike, slightly melancholic quality. I find myself drawn to the way Chahine handles the paint. It's thin in places, allowing the canvas to breathe, and thicker in others, creating texture and depth. Look at the crowd, the quick, gestural strokes suggest movement and energy. Notice the monkey in the green dress, perched on that stool, the colour is so solid, and it's got this weird kind of gravity that anchors the whole painting. Chahine reminds me a bit of Daumier, in his ability to capture the ordinary with such sensitivity. And just like Daumier, he leaves us with questions, not answers, about the world and our place in it. The monkeys in particular, make you think about the human condition.