Charade

During the last decade of his life, Yeats painted some of his most lyrical paintings, many of which focus on memories and dreams as the artist reached old age. The present work is described by Hilary Pyle, 'the oil scene, focused on a girl on stage in a mist posing theatrically, watched by a man on the right and other enigmatic figures, has the atmosphere of a dream'.

Yeats was fascinated by the theatre and the art of performance, and often depicts a young woman on a stage, singing or acting, with an admiring audience set around her. In the present work, an actress in a brilliant blue costume is posing in a highly charged, theatrical setting. An accomplished performer, she is enjoying her time in the spotlight as she flirts from the stage with the audience before her.