The invasion of England 1909

Louis Glackens made this madcap cartoon imagining ‘The Invasion of England’ with pen and ink and watercolor. It’s just a completely bonkers scene, isn’t it? A teeming invasion force of figures in flight, rendered in this bright, even, and almost casual palette. You see how Glackens doesn't hide anything, not a single brushstroke is obscured; the ink outlines are all there, nakedly defining forms and spaces. There’s a kind of artlessness to this which is so knowing. The image is not really about depth or perspective, but more about accumulation. It’s like, how many different things can I fit into one frame? How can I create a sense of playful chaos? And look at the red balloons! They pop against this pastel blue ground like cherries on a cake. They appear completely random, and yet create a visual rhythm that drives your eye all over the surface of the work. You see a little bit of James Ensor here maybe, or perhaps even some Philip Guston? The painting is a space of endless possibilities, and that is something to celebrate.