To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice.
~ Andre Malraux ~
Carnival Evening
by
Henri Rousseau
As winter continues to linger, I offer you a bit of whimsy to cheer you on to brighter days!
I saw this painting, oil on canvas, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and while perhaps a bit dark, I thought the accompanied placard, addressed the illumination issue well – thus I share it with you:
“An air of mystery pervades this wintry forest landscape. Dressed in festive carnival costumes, a lone couple stands in front of barren trees. The figures seem to shine from within rather than from the light of the moon, which has strangely left the forest in darkness. An unexplained face leers out from the empty hut beside the figures, and an unexpected street lamp incongruously glows nearby. Known for his fantastic scenes, Rousseau was a self-taught artist whose works appealed to the collectors and avant-garde artist of the early twentieth century, including Pablo Picasso.”
Art can never exist without naked beauty displaced.
~ William Blake ~
