Endormies 1904

Rupert Bunny painted Endormies in an unknown year using oil paint. The colour palette is soft and muted, with a focus on gentle, flowing lines and shapes, reminiscent of a daydream. Looking at the way Bunny handled the paint, you can see the brushstrokes are delicate, almost feathery, especially in the rendering of the women’s dresses. These details create a sense of lightness and airiness, contributing to the overall mood of tranquility. Notice how the ripples on the water are depicted with horizontal strokes, suggesting movement and fluidity. Conversely the strokes that form the bodies of the swans are bolder, thicker. It's these sorts of contrasts that make a work sing for me. Art, like sleep, can take you to a place where everything is a little softer, a little dreamier, where definitive meanings give way to speculation and wonder. Bunny's work here echoes the style of artists like Berthe Morisot, who also used soft focus and delicate brushwork to capture the beauty of everyday life.