Iris 1916

Arthur Bowen Davies made this print, titled Iris, sometime in his career, using delicate lines and a muted palette that speaks to the ephemeral nature of the subject. The way Davies has handled the medium gives the piece an ethereal quality. The texture is smooth, almost velvety, with subtle gradations of tone that create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The figure emerges softly from the background, as if from a dream. Look closely at the way Davies renders the hair, a dark, swirling mass that contrasts with the lightness of the figure's skin. It's as if he's playing with the idea of form and formlessness, of presence and absence. There is something of Odilon Redon in Davies's approach to the figure, a similar interest in creating a dreamlike, otherworldly space. Both artists share a belief in the power of art to evoke emotions and states of mind that cannot be easily put into words.