Charlie Roberts - Rite of spring

At first glance, Rite of Spring feels like a miniature world in bloom. The small watercolor is densely composed: flowers twist and turn, birds and figures intermingle, and the surface hums with life. Painted with delicate precision, its colors feel at once playful and controlled, capturing that fleeting moment between chaos and harmony.

The title recalls Igor Stravinsky’s radical ballet from 1913, a landmark of modernism that shocked audiences with its rhythm and force. Like its namesake, Roberts’ composition channels vitality and renewal, but here the tension is transformed into something intimate and poetic. The energy of spring is filtered through his light hand and vivid imagination.

Roberts’ works often live in the space between folk art, medieval illumination, and contemporary illustration. In Rite of Spring, this blend of sincerity and humor takes on new warmth. The ornate setting of the small image within a large frame invites quiet contemplation, elevating an everyday scene into something timeless, where play, ritual, and beauty coexist.

Title:
Rite of spring

Year:
2025

Size:
15×15 cm, 70 × 50 cm framed

Medium:
Watercolor and pencil on paper

Authentication:
Initialized by the artist on the back

Frame:
Oak frame with passepartout

Charlie Roberts (b. 1983, Kansas, USA. Lives and works in Oslo, Norway) is an American-born artist whose work spans painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Known for his vibrant compositions and elongated figures, he draws on sources ranging from folk art and medieval painting to hip-hop, comics, and art history. Roberts’ imagery often merges the everyday with the fantastical, creating scenes that feel both ancient and contemporary. His work balances humor and sincerity, craftsmanship and spontaneity, resulting in a distinctly personal and joyful visual language.