L’Aurore 1901

Henri Fantin-Latour painted ‘L’Aurore’ with oils on canvas. The painting comes into being through the subtle gestures of the brush which conjure a dream-like aura through their gentle and diffused application. I imagine Fantin-Latour was trying to find a way to visualise something invisible - dawn, a new day, a fresh start. The female nude exudes a quiet and confident grace. The peach and rose tones of her drapery cascade around her body like the warmth of daybreak. These hues contrast with the cool blue that seeps into the background, making me think about how we experience temperature with colour. The cupid tugs at the drapery, and that small gesture adds to the painting’s drama. It reminds me of Poussin, and the many painters who've used figures to act out inner and outer worlds. This work seems to be part of an ongoing conversation across centuries, with each artist adding their own voice to the chorus. It's an embodied expression, full of feeling. And what I feel is a hopeful and playful sense of beginning.