Scheherezade odalisque 1910

Léon Bakst made this 'Scheherezade odalisque' sometime around 1910, maybe with gouache and pencil on paper, and it's just a feast of pattern and color. I love how Bakst fearlessly throws together all these different motifs, like the polka dots on the yellow shawl and the paisley on those amazing pantaloons. There's something so joyful and theatrical about the way he uses color. Everything is just so alive! If you look closely, you can see the way the paint has been applied in thin, almost transparent layers. In other areas, he builds it up, creating this amazing sense of texture. I am especially drawn to that little red triangle beneath her breasts! It’s the only truly warm colour in the image, and it draws your eye in. It just seems to pulse with energy. Bakst was a set and costume designer for the Ballets Russes, and you can really see that sensibility in this work. This reminds me of Matisse, especially the way he used pattern and color to create a sense of depth and movement. Art is like a big conversation, right? Everyone riffing off each other, trying to find their own voice.