Le Chérubin de Mozart c. 1904

Jacques-Émile Blanche gave us this painting of a young person, all dressed up in a velvet jacket and satin pants, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The dark, smudgy background makes me think of a stage set, maybe even an opera. The theatrical costume and the figure's nonchalant pose definitely suggest the world of opera. I imagine Blanche, the artist, feeling drawn to capture the fleeting beauty and androgynous allure of this figure, maybe a young singer or actor, caught in a moment of poise before their performance. The artist's hand, the brushstrokes – it’s all kind of blurry and gestural. Blanche's artistic choices celebrate ambiguity and fluidity, reflecting a sense of possibility. He doesn’t only create an image but also invites us to reflect on the performative aspects of identity. Painting is like an ongoing conversation where artists respond to each other across time.