A small yet awe-inspiring painting with all the majesty of a large-format work, Icône no 4 was produced in a year that marked a major transition in Jean McEwen’s work. In fact, as Constance Naubert-Riser noted, in 1963 one could discern “a gradual shift from a dominant vertical structure to a cross-shaped structure,” characterized by “a darker range of colours.” This development foreshadowed the famous Le drapeau inconnu series, which takes up a similar composition in the form of varied planes and colours. The luxuriant tertiary colours in Icône no 4 include carmine, rose madder, vermillion, ochre, chartreuse, and khaki. More difficult to detect are the indigo and phthalo blues, buried under a layer of ecru foam in the four corners of the painting, adding to the mysterious aura emanating from the work. The siennas and burnt umbers form colour wells of extraordinary depth, drawing the gaze into a classical poem worthy of the Spice Route. At the same time, the texture of the painting borrows from the mineral and fossilized outlines of petrified wood, which in themselves are worthy of close contemplation to appreciate their infinite beauty. (A. L.)