Poetry

This painting draws inspiration from Edgar Degas’ painting ‘La Coiffure’ (Combing the Hair). In both works a particular mood is created through the use of red for figures and background alike. However, my painting, leaning more towards painterly abstraction introduces ambiguity to the scene. I challenged myself to paint like a poet, expressing more by saying less. Winter light filtering through the large windows glances off the silhouetted figures adding to a sense of intrigue, whilst subtle shifts of colour and tone allude to unseen details. This poetic realism lends the intimate scene an emotional resonance suggestive of memory, rather than a narrative clarity. ‘Poetry’ is a painting full of possibilities.