Semele or Fireflies 1907

Arthur Bowen Davies made this dreamy painting called Semele or Fireflies. It's hard to pin down exactly what's going on, but the way the colors melt together tells you it's about a feeling, a mood. I love how Davies uses these dark, velvety browns and blacks, punctuated with touches of gold. The painting's surface is built up, not with a smooth finish but with visible brushstrokes that give it this tangible, almost sculptural quality. Look at the reclining figure – is she Semele, a figure from Greek mythology? Or is she just a woman reclining in nature, perhaps illuminated by fireflies? Her arm is outstretched, a moment of pause and anticipation. Davies reminds me of other symbolist painters like Odilon Redon, with their interest in dreams and the inner life. It’s like he's inviting us to dream along with him, to find our own meaning in the shadows.