Den bortrövade ormen 1931

Nils Dardel made "Den bortrövade ormen" in 1931, using paint to create a scene that's both playful and unsettling. Look at how he handles the paint – the colors are bright and almost childlike, but there's a strange, dreamlike quality to the whole thing. It feels like a storybook illustration gone a bit sideways. I love the texture in this piece, especially the way Dardel layers the colors. The blues and greens feel almost translucent in places. Notice the brushstrokes that define the birds' feathers – they're so loose and expressive. It’s as though Dardel wanted to capture not just the look of the birds but their energy, their movement. Dardel's work makes me think a little of Henri Rousseau. Both artists have this way of creating worlds that are both familiar and totally strange. What does it all mean? Maybe it's better not to know for sure!