The Story of Psyche: panel 4. The Vengeance of Venus 1908

Maurice Denis made this panel of "The Story of Psyche" at the turn of the 20th century, a time when painting was really opening up. Look how he's laid down these matte colors, it's almost like fresco. You can feel the thought process, the layers building up in muted pinks, greens and ochres. The paint is so thin it’s like a veil, and that veil softens the whole scene, like a memory. The artist uses the pale tones and the repetition of the shapes to lead your eye around the scene. A kind of rhythmic movement. He uses similar colors for the figures and the ground and for the landscape beyond. This makes it harder to read, like a puzzle. It all becomes part of a process, a search for the truth beyond the first impression. It makes me think of Puvis de Chavannes, but with a more personal, intimate touch. It's like he's whispering a secret about how we see and feel. Art like this reminds me that there's always more than one way to tell a story.