Equilibre 1936

Jean Helion made Equilibre with oil paint at an unknown date. It's a puzzle of soft hues, like a faded memory or a dream half-remembered. The painting has this lovely, muted palette, all greys and blues with pops of gentle oranges and reds. It’s so smooth, you can hardly see the brushstrokes. It feels like Helion was after something beyond the physical, maybe a state of mind, or a fleeting feeling. Look how the colours blend seamlessly, like they're breathing into each other. There’s this one spot, near the bottom, where a patch of light green kisses a blue. That small detail has the whole painting leaning toward the future. I think of Stuart Davis when I look at this, or maybe Leger, artists who knew how to build a world from shapes and colors. Ultimately, this piece reminds me that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration, with no one right answer.