Hide and Seek

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund, New York (the USA).

The plot of this painting was conceived as “Purgatory”, a part of the triptych “Phenomenon”, and represents a fantastic space from the branches of a huge tree. Its lower part is a womb giving birth to someone. A baby goes out of it, his head first – according to art experts, it is the artist’s nephew, in the future – poet K. Kedrov, the only successor to the Tchelitchews (Pavel did not have a family). The top of the tree resembles long fingers; almost each of them has a baby’s head. In the branches of a spooky tree, children play hide and seek. Only individual arms and heads are depicted, covered with branches like veins. Like many works created in the midst of World War II, the plot and the painting itself are alarming. Others see angels from Raphael’s paintings in the foliage.