Allegorie du Tissu 1937

Jean Dupas painted this ‘Allegorie du Tissu’ using what looks like oil, in the style of the 1920s. It’s a painting where the gestures and poses are so mannered, like watching an elaborate stage play. The subdued palette of pinks, grays and browns is very cool. The artist has divided the canvas into sections, like compartments. There’s a very clear intention to arrange the figures and forms almost mathematically. Look at the figure in the center blowing a horn. The shadows cast across his face and torso seem to outline a sculpture, an exercise in pure form. It reminds me of Piero della Francesca, but with a touch of Art Deco decadence. It makes me think about the connection between painting and theater design, the way both play with illusion and artifice. But what I really appreciate is the way Dupas embraces the strangeness of this scenario, allowing the painting to be both beautiful and a bit unsettling. That’s what keeps it alive for me.