The Butterfly 1913

Léon Bakst made this drawing, The Butterfly, using what looks like watercolor or gouache. The way he handles the color here—it’s flat, like he’s stenciling—makes me think about painting as a kind of process, one decision after another. Look at that amazing blue! It’s so vibrant, and the way it’s used to create those pattern-like wings really draws you in. The marks are applied with such precision. It’s like each one has been carefully considered. Then you have that ochre scarf, a kind of loose counterpoint to the blue. The texture is relatively smooth but the way the colors overlap there's a clear depth to the image. The black outlines give it a graphic quality. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about replicating the world but about creating a whole new one. Bakst was a stage designer, and you can see that theatrical flair here. It reminds me a little bit of Matisse, with that bold color and decorative sensibility. Art is a conversation, and Bakst is adding his voice to it.