Fantasy c. 1897

Santiago Rusiñol created this sketch titled "Fantasy" using graphite, employing monochromatic tones to evoke a sense of somber reverie. A knight on horseback dominates the upper portion, set against a backdrop of a dark forest populated with ominous crows. Notice how the composition is bisected by a stark, empty rectangle. This void is framed by the natural elements, like tree trunks and skeletal roots, drawing our eye to its impenetrable blankness. Rusiñol uses this structured absence as a semiotic marker, suggesting a space that is both part of and apart from the surrounding dreamscape. The artist skillfully uses linear perspective, not to create depth, but to flatten the image, emphasizing the surface and drawing attention to the act of representation itself. Consider how the stark contrast between the detailed knight and the empty rectangle challenges fixed meanings, inviting us to contemplate the interplay between presence and absence, representation and reality.