This composition, titled The Fourteen Daggers, is an oil on
canvas painting by American artist Kay Sage, one of the few female surrealist
painters of the 20th century. Sage’s work was generally praised by
critics, though it was not as popular as many other artists’ work at the time.
Even today, Sage isn’t well-known amongst the general population. I enjoy Sage’s
works because of the realism in their depictions of concepts that are
ultimately unrealistic. I also find it interesting that Sage herself never
publicly explained the meaning of any of her works.
This
painting interests me because it has so much depth and mystery to it. The two
figures shown in the work are completely covered by robes, which leads the
viewer to wonder what would happen if the scene were continued. Deeper still,
the concealed nature of the figures and the many creases in their robes leads
one to wonder if they are people or some unknown life form, or if they are even
living beings at all. The seemingly endless horizon depicted in the background
of the painting also contributes to its mystery. The whole scene seems to take
place in the middle of nowhere, which evokes a sense of desolation and deepens
the mystery further.
I find
this painting fascinating. Titled Tomorrow
Is Never, it has an enticing quality to it that makes the viewer think hard
about what Sage could be saying. I feel that without knowing the title of the
painting, it is harder to imagine what the meaning might be. The forms shown in
the painting are instantly reminiscent of skyscrapers, but knowing the title guides
the viewer to a sense of disenchantment of modernity, which I feel is at least
partly what Sage intended. The bleak overtone of the painting also contributes
to a sense of despair over the concept of modernity.
The
solid shape of the skyscrapers, as well as the well-defined brush strokes of
the fog at the top of the painting, cause the overall work to feel more real to
the viewer. Surrealist art is often composed of both strange concepts as well
as vaguely defined forms depicting those concepts, which I feel disconnects the
work from the viewer. Because this painting, like most of Sage’s works, does
not use such vague forms, it seems to draw the viewer into a level of contemplation
that is deeper than both traditional paintings and more “normal” surrealist
paintings. This painting also exhibits elements of mystery just as The Fourteen Daggers does. I also
thought it was interesting that the robe-like fabrics from The Fourteen Daggers make an appearance in this work.
The
last painting I chose, titled Le Passage,
is interesting because it is the only work of Sage’s that definitely features a
person. Sage’s other works may have human-like forms in them, but they are not definitively
human; they could be something completely unrelated. Similarly, the viewer
could speculate about whether or not the subject in the work is a person, or
simply a resemblance of one. Le Passage is also believed to be a
self-portrait, which is interesting because the subject’s face is turned
completely away from the viewer.
Like
most of Sage’s work, this painting has a mysterious tone, which is made
stronger by the presence of the woman. Seeing another human being in this
somewhat unsettling painting makes it more relatable, but also leads the viewer
to consider why the subject does not seem at all afraid. Like The Fourteen Daggers, this painting
illustrates a never-ending landscape which gives the location a secluded feel.
The painting has an overall feeling of being lost, both physically and
mentally, which I feel is interesting. Sage’s style of realistic surrealism is
also present in this work.
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