Figure Composition with Bacchants 1914 - 1915

J.A. Jerichau painted "Figure Composition with Bacchants" sometime before 1916 with what looks like oil paint. I can imagine Jerichau, with a loaded brush in hand, coaxing these figures into being. See how the ochre underpainting glows through the dark browns of the figures, and the light blues and whites of the sky? It’s all about the act of painting itself—the artist shifting, adding, and removing layers, probably trying to get it right. I can imagine Jerichau thinking about other paintings of the time, maybe even looking back at the old masters, and thinking about how to create figures in motion. That central figure, with the bold strokes of red defining the raised arm and the confident turn of the body, speaks volumes. Artists, you know, we're always in conversation. We inspire each other, and our works build upon what's come before. And with painting there is no right or wrong, it is about exploring and embracing the beauty of ambiguity.