Untitled 

Curator: This artwork is an untitled piece by Paul Ranson, a key figure in the Les Nabis movement. The piece blends elements of genre painting, landscape, and figuration, executed in pastel and colored pencil with an oil underpainting. Editor: Oh, wow. My first impression? It feels like stepping into a dream. Sort of hazy and sun-drenched, with these figures nestled in what looks like ancient ruins overtaken by nature. There's a definite air of mystery about it. Curator: Indeed. Ranson's involvement with the Nabis meant an engagement with Symbolism, drawing from broader fin-de-siècle anxieties and an interest in esotericism. Looking at the placement of the figures, do you sense any kind of a narrative? How are women being presented here? Editor: Well, one is very active, looking directly outwards, the other reclining peacefully. And then, in the distance, the person on horseback adds a suggestion of classical myth or fable. Maybe nymphs surprised in their secluded world. Ranson’s giving us a real keyhole view into this secret, vibrant moment. What are your thoughts? Curator: The art historical frame of the Nabis can also reveal a certain politics. Ranson and others rejected naturalism in favor of subjective expression. Their interests, informed by discourses from the occult to socialism, shaped their visual vocabulary. I look at this and consider late 19th century conceptions of idealized womanhood but also subversions of it. Editor: Ah, I see where you’re coming from. I keep getting caught up in that dreamy atmosphere and the way the artist uses these really unexpected color choices to convey a world that’s somehow familiar yet completely new. The horse even has this crazy blue tint around it, almost vibrating with energy. Curator: A fitting point, perhaps reflecting back on the radical nature of subjective artistic vision and technique, something the Nabis advanced at the time. Thank you for the discussion. Editor: It was my pleasure. This made me see new layers in something that I initially connected with on such a personal level.