Don Quijote 1965

Esteban Frances made this design for Don Quijote with paint, and maybe gouache, on paper. The painting has a simple palette of greens, blues, and browns, but it’s the way Frances applies the paint that really grabs me – it’s all about the process. I'm really drawn to the way Frances handles the architecture, creating a kind of portal. The paint application is smooth, almost translucent in places, and textured in others. There’s a real sense of depth and dimension to the set piece and the dark blue sky above. Check out the trees on either side of the gate; the trunks are these quick, elegant lines that give the illusion of depth, while the tops are a scumble of dark green. The light that falls on the walls on either side of the gate gives the whole scene a dreamlike quality, like something from a half remembered fairytale. This image puts me in mind of Giorgio de Chirico, both artists embrace a similar atmosphere of mystery and symbolism. Like all great art, this painting remains wonderfully ambiguous.