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Dana DeKalbScheherazade — Contemporary Figurative Surrealist Painting, 12 x 12 in.2023
2023
$1,200
£906.96
€1,039.54
CA$1,673.98
A$1,825.45
CHF 965.19
MX$21,958.42
NOK 12,248.46
SEK 11,225.60
DKK 7,764.69
About the Item
In Scheherazade, the artist presents a quietly enigmatic figure set against a serene coastal horizon. A woman kneels in sandy earth, dressed in work clothes—boots, gloves, and overalls—suggesting labor, care, and intention. Yet the scene resists simple narrative. What might initially read as an act of planting or excavation becomes something more psychological and symbolic, inviting the viewer into a space where realism and surrealism intersect.
The most arresting element is the small, mask-like object emerging from the ground, its disembodied eyes and lips rendered with an uncanny delicacy. This form is a deliberate art-historical nod to René Magritte, who repeatedly employed fragmented faces and masks to question perception, identity, and the reliability of what we see. Here, the reference functions not as homage alone but as dialogue: Magritte’s vocabulary is recontextualized within a contemporary, figurative framework that is both intimate and narrative-driven.
The figure’s expression is calm and knowing, as if she is complicit in the strangeness of the moment. Her gaze meets the viewer with quiet confidence, reinforcing the sense that this act—unearthing or perhaps planting the surreal—is purposeful. The title Scheherazade further deepens the work’s meaning, invoking the legendary storyteller whose survival depended on imagination, intelligence, and the power of narrative. Like Scheherazade herself, the figure appears to be engaged in an act of creation, bringing stories—and symbols—into the world.
The coastal backdrop, painted in soft, muted tones, provides a meditative counterpoint to the psychological charge of the foreground. Land meets sea, reality meets dream, and the ordinary meets the uncanny. The result is a painting that feels timeless yet unmistakably contemporary, rooted in art history while speaking to modern questions of identity, authorship, and the stories we choose to reveal.
Scheherazade is a compelling example of contemporary figurative surrealism—thoughtful, referential, and rich with narrative possibility—offering collectors a work that rewards both visual pleasure and intellectual engagement.
- Creator:Dana DeKalb (1958, American)
- Creation Year:2023
- Dimensions:Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU416317385492
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