Den sönderslagna statyn II 1917

Nils Dardel made this painting, Den sönderslagna statyn II, with watercolor and graphite. The washes of color float across the surface as if applied with the lightest touch. You can see the artist building up layers of color and the delicate graphite marks of the initial sketch. I imagine Dardel, brush in hand, carefully coaxing this dreamlike scene into being. He's gently layering those delicate washes, trying to get the balance between the figures and the slightly surreal landscape just right. And look at that weeping man in the foreground; the violet hue of his jacket picks up the violet in the shadows on the ground. Dardel is so tender with the paint and the line. It reminds me of Matisse in that way. But, there’s also a slightly melancholic feeling, like some strange theater of longing. Dardel, Matisse, and so many others; we artists are all in conversation. It’s this continuous dialogue of ideas, inspiring new ways of seeing, of feeling, of being. Each painting is a new way to express our shared humanity and an invitation to new interpretations.