Stage Set c. 1938

Gilbert Sackerman made this watercolor painting, Stage Set, at an unknown date. Look at those washes of pale pinks and blues, so delicate and light, they remind me of a dream. I can almost smell the damp paper, see the brushstrokes layering up, one after the other. What was Sackerman thinking as he painted? Did he imagine the actors on this stage, the drama unfolding? The columns, the drapes, the staircase—it’s all so theatrical! I wonder if he ever got to see this set come to life, the actors, the music, the whole shebang. Painting stage sets is an art form of its own, don’t you think? It’s not just about representation, it’s about creating a mood, a space for imagination to run wild. In a way, all paintings are stage sets, inviting us to step into another world, another way of seeing.