"Les femmes de bonne humeur" - set design 1917

Léon Bakst created this stage set design, "Les femmes de bonne humeur," and you can imagine the flat canvas propped up in his studio as he works on it. I love how the buildings huddle together in a warm ochre light, while the night sky looms like a big, dark question mark. Bakst must have been thinking about how to create a space that feels both intimate and expansive, a place where the comedic drama of "The Good-Humored Ladies" could unfold. I mean, look at that tower! It's like a character in itself, standing tall and a little bit aloof. And then there's the way he's painted the curtains framing the scene, they bring you right in. You see similar stage set qualities in the paintings of someone like Giorgio de Chirico, who was also interested in creating a dreamlike atmosphere with his architectural spaces. Ultimately painting is a conversation, right?