sketch for The Conquest of the Air 1913

Curator: Here we have Roger de La Fresnaye’s "sketch for The Conquest of the Air," an oil painting dating back to 1913, currently housed at the Musee d'Art Moderne de Troyes. What are your immediate impressions? Editor: It feels like… a memory trying to solidify. There's this beautiful sky—billowy clouds like a child's drawing—and then figures rendered in these fractured, almost urgent strokes. There’s a sense of dynamic possibility, but it doesn't quite resolve. Curator: Precisely. You feel that sense of ‘almost.’ This work, while labeled a sketch, captures La Fresnaye grappling with the exhilaration of early aviation. But, rather than a literal depiction, it’s about the sensation of progress. It blends modernist styles, nodding toward cubism and embracing what was then perceived as modern life. Editor: Right. The composition draws your eye upward, from those seated figures, past what I assume are abstracted landscape elements and all the way up to that turbulent sky. The choice of such vibrant reds, blues and yellows amidst so much gray feels… pointed, somehow. A very Modernist colour palette in my view. Curator: It speaks, doesn't it, to the spirit of the age? Early aviation was incredibly exciting, but access was dictated by socio-economic positions. This canvas shows those enjoying life while it still affords comfort and familiarity. Thinkers questioned what that conquest meant, who truly benefitted, and who was left to look on? These elements of doubt are palpable despite the colorful nature of the painting. Editor: So, in a sense, it’s a commentary on progress, tinged with anxiety? These gentlemen are literally ‘at the table’ whilst change happens above their heads and around their feet. Is it celebratory, or cautionary? Curator: It dances between those perspectives. La Fresnaye isn't providing answers, rather showing those complexities with his loose but confident brushstrokes. This piece captures both the euphoria and the underlying tensions that came with this brave new world, if you like, inviting us to contemplate how advancements resonate within society. Editor: I agree. It certainly urges me to examine my own position and biases around progress in these very challenging times. What impact are we really having, and on whom? Curator: And sometimes, simply prompting these questions is exactly what a great piece of art should achieve. Thank you for taking the time to explore La Fresnaye's “sketch for The Conquest of the Air” with me.