The Stairway 1921

George Ault’s painting, The Stairway, shows us how the simplest elements can speak volumes. The cool grays and whites he's chosen feel so deliberate, each shade carefully laid down. I love how he plays with light and shadow to create these stark, geometric forms. The texture is smooth, almost like a dream, but the shapes are hard and defined. The whole scene feels suspended. Look at the way the arches echo one another, drawing your eye deeper into the space. The contrast between the woman in her bright green dress descending the stairs, and the dark figure below, makes you wonder who they are, and what they are thinking. Ault’s work reminds me a little of de Chirico, that surrealist master of uncanny spaces, but here, there’s a uniquely American sense of loneliness and quiet contemplation. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout to be heard.