Drink to the Chimera 1947

Jacques Villon made this painting ‘Drink to the Chimera’ with oil on canvas, and it’s got me thinking about the early days of abstraction. I imagine Villon in his studio, wrestling with these geometric shapes, layering soft blues and pinks, searching for some kind of balance. There’s a fragility here, a quietness. The brushstrokes are gentle, almost tentative, as if the painting is being coaxed into existence rather than forced. Look at how he lets the colors bleed into each other, creating these hazy, dreamlike forms. It’s like he’s inviting us into a space of pure possibility, a space where shapes and colors can dance together without the weight of representation. This reminds me of other painters who were breaking ground at this time. They were all in conversation, pushing each other to see what painting could be. It’s about the joy of exploration, the excitement of not knowing exactly where you’re going.