King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid 1906

Albert Pinkham Ryder conjured 'King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid' out of oil paint, and a whole lot of mystery! His paintings are all about mood, and he wasn't afraid to build up layers and layers to get the feeling right. The surface of this piece is really something. It’s thick, almost sculptural in places, with dark, moody colors. Ryder’s not trying to hide the process, he's letting you see every brushstroke. Take a look at the way he's built up the horse and rider on the left; it's like they’re emerging from the shadows. It's a beautiful, haunting effect. Ryder’s work reminds me a bit of El Greco, with their shared love of elongated figures and dreamy, otherworldly scenes. Like El Greco, Ryder wasn't interested in simple realism; he was after something deeper, something more poetic. Art's not about answers, it’s about the questions, and this painting is full of them.