Return of Ulysses 1938

Andre Derain made this painting called Return of Ulysses with oil on canvas; look at the size of it. I imagine Derain starting with a scene, maybe even a dream, then he works and reworks his original idea. He’s slathering on the ochre, sienna, cream, and a green that’s almost grey, building up a thick surface of gorgeous muted tones. There are so many figures! All kinds of gestures. I like the guy in the middle reaching up. What’s he doing? Is he drunk? I wonder if Derain felt like he was one of those figures sometimes, struggling and reaching toward something. I see echoes of Cezanne and Matisse, who Derain knew well. Artists are always talking to each other, even across time. Ultimately, it’s a painting about the messy, beautiful, uncertain process of trying to make sense of the world.