Panel c. 1930

This ‘Panel’ was made by an anonymous artist, we don’t know when, and looks like it was made with stencils, or maybe wood blocks. It really embraces the power of making something with repetition. The basic premise of this piece is a jungle scene, surrounded by a border of small figures, all holding hands. I love the idea that the figures are holding hands. Is it supposed to be friendly, or is it a kind of warning? The tiger in the centre seems like he might be getting ready to pounce. But the limited palette and the way the pattern fills the whole space also gives it a kind of comic feel. The artist seems to have revelled in the joy of repeating a single pattern again and again. The nearest artist I can think of who embraced pattern in this way is someone like Henri Matisse. But with Matisse, everything feels carefully considered and composed, whereas with this piece, there’s a sense of the artist just letting rip. Which is not to say it’s not beautiful! It’s just a different way of approaching beauty.