Annunciation 1910

Hélène Guinepied’s ‘Annunciation’ is an oil painting on panel, but we don't know exactly when it was made. The work is all about soft edges and muted tones. The forms of the figures seem to be emerging out of the paint as a process. It’s not about a specific moment, more about a feeling, or an atmosphere. Look how the brushstrokes build up the scene. It’s not about hiding the work, but embracing the materiality of paint. The angel's wings aren’t sharply defined but are evoked through a series of strokes. It’s kind of beautiful how Guinepied uses the paint to suggest form, rather than define it precisely. It reminds me a little of some of Odilon Redon’s more Symbolist pieces. Both of them seem interested in the ambiguity of art, and its ability to evoke the unknown. Like a visual poem that keeps changing with each reading.