BLASE© or the Art of Diversion
A second life for a 19th-century painting
With his painting The Revelation, freshly completed and presented exclusively at our Paris gallery, Blase brilliantly showcases the approach that built his reputation: working from antique paintings he selects, restores, and then enhances.
An intervention perfectly integrated into the original canvas
Once the canvas has been restored, Blase inserts an element, painted “from within”: here, the head of the Statue of Liberty, overturned and partly swallowed up and reclaimed by nature.
Nothing is pasted on; color, values, perspective, texture—everything is adjusted so the contemporary motif aligns with the initial painting with a striking sense of inevitability, as if it had always belonged to the scene.
A majestic composition
In this great composition, the figures are tiny: small silhouettes lost in the immensity of the landscape. This contrast in scale heightens the feeling of silence and distance, turning the scene into a true theater of time: the human becomes a fragile witness, while the setting—and the monumental symbol—impose their presence.
A classical painting turned into a contemporary icon
The Revelation bridges old and contemporary painting, exactly what we appreciate with BLASE©. Here, Liberty is no longer a beacon: overturned and half-submerged, it becomes a relic—mirroring the tensions now running through the United States, where the very idea of freedom is contested, instrumentalized, and loaded with opposing narratives, against a backdrop of polarization and distrust in institutions.
Nature reclaiming its rights then acts like an implacable force: time covers over symbols, shifts our certainties, and turns the icon into a ruin. The image tips into a "revelation" that is both poetic and unsettling: that of a fragile freedom that exists only if we take care of it; and also that of time passing, reminding us that we are all mortal. Memento Mori.
With its XXL format and narrative power, this oil painting on canvas stands as a truly unique piece.
Notes:
• The painting is supplied with a bespoke 19th-century period frame, to be selected with the artist.
• Given its size, please contact us to arrange shipping and/or collection from the gallery.
Artwork details
• Medium: Oil on canvas (2026)
• Dimensions: 135 x 216 cm
• Framed artwork (19th-century frame)
• Unique piece, provided with a certificate of authenticity
Shipping
The artwork can be collected in person at the gallery or shipped. Please feel free to contact us to arrange its shipment.
More information
Discover the presentation of BLASE©’s work at achetezdelart.com/blase.
