Chaos c. 1875 - 1882

Curator: Here we have George Frederic Watts's "Chaos," held at the Tate. Editor: It's immense! The scale immediately overwhelms you. The raw, churning forms feel almost geological. Curator: Watts explores the creation myth, the moment before order, using the human figure as elements within a primordial soup. Notice the huddled figures—they represent unrealized potential, the raw material of humanity. Editor: But look at the application of paint. It's so loose, almost gestural. He's not crafting a polished allegory, but rather revealing the sheer labor of forming something from nothing. What kind of brushes would produce such textures? Curator: Exactly! The figures emerge from the murk, symbols of nascent humanity struggling for form and consciousness. They are us, on the verge of being. Editor: I see both a beginning and also just raw materials and labor. It really puts the work of creation in perspective, both the artist's and…well, creation itself. Curator: Watts truly invites us to contemplate the very origins of our being. Editor: Indeed, a real lesson in the nature of both art and, well, existence itself.