While commissioned in 1929, Maxfield Parrish’s “Ecstasy” leans more towards the dreamlike qualities of the earlier Art Nouveau movement than the geometric precision of Art Deco. The painting is a feast for the eyes, bursting with Parrish’s signature saturated colors. Lush, emerald greens and sun-dappled golds dominate the landscape, a dramatic counterpoint to the cerulean expanse of the sky. In the foreground, an idealized figure, possibly a young woman with flowing hair, stands atop a rocky precipice. Her form, like the landscape, is idealized, elongated and graceful. Unlike the cold, machine-age aesthetic of Art Deco, the scene evokes a timeless serenity. The woman’s arms are outstretched, bathed in the warm, golden light, suggesting a connection with the beauty surrounding her. A sense of mystery is added by a cascading waterfall, partially obscured by the rocks, hinting at a hidden world beyond the frame. Though painted on the cusp of a new artistic era, “Ecstasy,” like other works such as “Daybreak,” remain a testament to Parrish’s enduring fascination with the idealized beauty of nature and the human form, characteristics that firmly place it within the realm of Art Nouveau.