Angels 1924

Giovanni Boldini made 'Angels' with oil on canvas. Boldini’s got these incredible slashing gestures, full of energy. I imagine him, sleeves rolled up, really attacking the canvas. He must have been so attuned to the feeling of the brush in his hand, how much pressure to apply, the speed, the angle, to get that perfect flick of paint. The earthy browns and golds, punctuated by strokes of white and yellow, give the painting a sense of drama, of the heavens opening up. And I think about other artists who have grappled with the same themes – the divine, the ethereal, the unknown. What did he think the angels looked like? 'Angels’ feels like it's part of this long, ongoing conversation among artists, each one responding to and building upon what came before. It’s like a visual game of telephone.