Midsummer Dream's 1986

Charles Bell made this painting, ‘Midsummer Dream’s’, at some point during his lifetime using smooth brushstrokes, and a theatrical, dreamlike composition. I wonder, when Charles Bell was making this, was he thinking about the theater and the way we project ourselves through costumes and roles? It’s like he’s painted a stage set here; one where inanimate objects come to life. The cool blues and creamy whites of the doll contrast with the bright and busy background; the painting has an eerie, melancholic atmosphere. I love how smoothly he's rendered the doll, its skin looks real enough to touch, yet she remains, an object. This juxtaposition of the real and the imagined, of stillness and movement, reminds me of the surrealist painters like Magritte and de Chirico, though Bell adds his own playful, ghostly touch. It's a bit creepy, but I like it. Ultimately, ‘Midsummer Dream’s’ is a testament to the way artists, through material and composition, invite us to create our own stories.