Le Tricorne (Three-cornered Hat) 1920

Here we have 'Le Tricorne' made with watercolour on paper by an unknown artist. It's a costume design for a ballet, and you can sense the artist figuring it out as they went along. The colors and shapes here are so lively! It feels like a playful exploration. Check out how the brushstrokes create these bands of black, red and yellow, giving the figure a sense of dynamic movement. The surface is pretty flat, but there's this incredible depth created just by the color choices. The hand of the figure on their hip is so wonderfully drawn, it's got the confidence of a Matisse figure! It reminds me a bit of the bold shapes and colors of the Fauvist painters, like Matisse or Derain. There is something very sophisticated about this little piece. It shows how art is really a big conversation across time, and it is open for all of us to participate.