Bacchus dance 1906

Andre Derain made this watercolor, Bacchus Dance, and well, you can see how the paint skitters across the surface, pooling in places and leaving other areas bare. I imagine Derain, outside maybe, rapidly capturing a scene of revelry, the blue tree like a sentinel, watching over the ochre figure in mid-leap. There is a sense of freedom here, the quick strokes suggesting movement and energy. The figures, rendered in loose washes, seem to dissolve into the landscape, as if the dance is a natural extension of the world around them. The thinness of the paint allows the paper to breathe, creating a sense of light and air. It reminds me a little of Matisse, actually – that Fauvist spirit, that delight in pure color. Derain’s conversation with the past is evident, but he’s pushing towards something new, something more immediate and raw. It's a reminder that painting is about the joy of seeing and feeling, and the ongoing dialogue between artists across time.