Procession en Flandres II 1933

Felix Labisse created this haunting, strange painting, *Procession en Flandres II* with oils and a vision, I think. Look how the faces emerge from a smoky ochre haze, with these funny, strong outlines. The crowd of figures is rendered with a smooth surface, and the faces all seem locked in their own worlds. Their eyes are like portals! I imagine Labisse, brush in hand, conjuring each face with an almost feverish intensity. What were his thoughts as he painted each face? There's a dialogue happening with other painters, maybe Ensor or Beckmann, but he finds his own oddness. It reminds us that artists are always chatting across time, inspiring each other’s creative energy. Painting embraces the ambiguity and uncertainty of life, offering many possible readings over definitive ones.