Claws for Alarm 1958

Gil Elvgren, sometime in the middle of the last century, made this painting with thin washes of oil paint. You can almost see the brushstrokes, capturing a funny moment. I can imagine Elvgren, brush in hand, carefully crafting this scene. What was he thinking as he painted her wide-eyed expression, the curve of her lips mirroring the shape of the sunglasses abandoned in the sand? It's fascinating to see how he used color – the bright red accents popping against the pale sand, drawing our eyes to the narrative. There's a dialogue happening here, not just within the painting, but between Elvgren and the viewer. The way the crab and her hand almost touch! It's as if he's inviting us to participate in the drama, to wonder what happens next. Artists like Elvgren are in conversation with one another through time, each building on the other's ideas and vision.