Manœuvres de nuit 1958

Charles Lapicque conjured this painting, Manoeuvres de nuit, with oil on canvas. The picture plane is alive with loose, gestural marks in a bold palette of blues and purples. Imagine Lapicque at work – I can picture him building up layers, each stroke a conversation between intention and chance, pushing and pulling the paint until an image emerges from the depths. I feel a kinship with Lapicque here. I wonder, was he thinking about other painters when he made this? Did he have favorite painting buddies or mentors? The impasto is both thick and thin, the texture almost vibrating with energy. Take for instance that big dab of lavender near the bottom – it’s not just color, it’s a physical presence, a record of Lapicque's hand and process. Artists are always in conversation with each other across time. Lapicque’s painting reminds us that art is never finished but constantly evolving, always changing as different artists inspire each other. Paintings like this invite us to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations rather than fixed meanings.