First Bucolic: Virgil Expelled from the Earth by a Centurion 1955

Jacques Villon made this artwork, First Bucolic: Virgil Expelled from the Earth by a Centurion, with ink and watercolor, I imagine, sometime in the early to mid-20th century. The marks in this piece feel quick and sketchy, like Villon was trying to capture a fleeting moment or idea. The colours are like a faded memory—soft pinks and yellows, like a dream of a landscape. I can see him moving the brush, almost nervously, trying to find the form within the chaos. I feel for Villon here, grappling with the task of representing something as complex as a landscape, and the drama contained within, using such simple means. The angular shapes of the figures, the way the colours bleed into each other - there's a real sense of urgency and immediacy, yet also a sense of humour! He makes the story his own by adding just a few personal touches. In this way, artists are always talking to one another, reinterpreting old stories and breathing new life into them, allowing multiple readings.