La Thebaide 1978

In Félix Labisse’s painting, La Thebaide, we see a landscape of imposing mountains, rendered in layered whites and greys, meeting two figures whose skin is painted a deep midnight blue. Looking at the painting, I imagine Labisse in his studio, mixing colors, layering the paint thinly, carefully building the scene. Maybe he paused, wondering about the expressions on the figures’ faces, what they might be thinking, what they might be seeing. There's something about the smoothness of the surface and the subtle gradations of color that create a surreal, dreamlike quality. Those mountains in the background? They look like a stage set or a backdrop, and that cave suggests something hidden, maybe even a bit dangerous. In the act of painting, Labisse is in dialogue with the history of surrealism, with its playfulness and subversion of expectations. The questions Labisse poses in this work remain open-ended, inviting us to join the conversation.