Lilla Julaftonsklubben 1933

Nils Dardel made this painting, Lilla Julaftonsklubben, with oil on canvas; it's like stepping into a peculiar dream. The colours are muted, almost like a faded photograph, and the brushstrokes seem deliberate, yet playful, lending a sense of controlled chaos to the scene. Look at the texture here. The paint isn't trying to hide its presence. You see the brushstrokes in the background, creating a strange, almost unsettling atmosphere. My eye keeps getting drawn to the figure sprawled on the floor. It's such a bold, almost comical, choice. The crisp white suit against the reddish floor, the way he’s so carelessly sprawled out, it's like a visual interruption, or some kind of dark joke. Dardel’s playfulness reminds me a little of James Ensor, especially in the way he creates this odd cast of characters, though I think Dardel has a sensitivity and intimacy that is all his own. The beauty of art is that it doesn’t always give you the answers, but it invites you to keep looking.