Desire, Ger Ladage, 1917

brush, h 699mm × w 468mm More details

Ger Ladage, or Gerlwh as he signed his name, was a theosophist who believed in the presence of an astral body (also called a soul body). This semi-transparent, spiritualised form around a person also appeared in images at the time. The contrasting colours, the transparent blow molds and the jerky contours in this watercolour evoke such an aura. In addition, there may be influences from Gerlwh’s profession as a decorator and stained-glass designer.