Les Perles. Mandchoukuo 1950

Paul Jacoulet created this print titled Les Perles in Mandchoukuo, and what strikes me is the layering and the mixing of flat decorative patterns with a more traditional portrait. It's like he’s building up a whole world, not just a picture. Look at how the background is this bright, almost cartoony floral pattern, but then the figure is rendered with a delicate, almost transparent veil. It's like she's caught between worlds, a real person in a dream. There’s something both controlled and wild about it, a tension I really appreciate. And the colors! They're not afraid to clash, those reds and blues and yellows, but somehow they all work together. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, that boldness with color and pattern, but with a completely different sensibility. Anyway, it’s the kind of piece that keeps you looking, keeps you wondering.