Le Enchanter 1938

Felix Labisse made this painting, Le Enchanter, with flat planes of colour and clear contours—think of the Surrealists playing with the tropes of classical statuary. Look at the masked figure, and the nude on the left, both wearing crowns of green leaves! I can imagine Labisse working on it, making slight adjustments to the shapes, trying to capture the mood and tone that he wants. The figures, in their stillness, are a perfect foil to the bird held in the foreground. With its yellow feathers, the bird seems ready to take flight. I bet Labisse enjoyed painting the bird's feathers in such detail. The paint is so smooth, it allows him to really capture their texture. Painters are always in conversation, looking at each other’s work. You know, a lot of painting is about making a mess and then trying to fix it. Paintings don’t always resolve the mess, and sometimes that’s the point!