Boats on the Shore 

Curator: It has an air of impending weather, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, something dramatic. The heavy clouds in Kimon Loghi’s “Boats on the Shore”, done in oil paint, create an intensity in the sky. I notice the layering of strokes, clearly *en plein air*. The work possesses the immediacy prized by the Impressionists and their successors. Curator: Absolutely. Beyond the purely visual experience, consider the potent symbolism. Boats often represent journeys, transitions...the shore itself a liminal space between land and the unknown of the sea. Even more if one connects it to a sunset as in this painting, evoking not just ending, but the potential for new beginnings inherent in every cycle. Editor: Well, looking closely at the *gestural* application of oil paint, you really feel the labor in this work. Consider the cost and accessibility of oil paints at the time... These are not smooth blended layers of the Academy but palpable layers of applied materiality. I mean, *thick* impasto! I think the way the brushstrokes evoke the waves emphasizes labor as it mirrors a sailor's daily life. Curator: The colours also trigger a reaction, don’t they? Look how Loghi utilizes the emotive power of color: the vibrant, almost angry red mirrored against those looming darker shades in the sky. Red itself can signify passion, danger. What meanings or associations did that hold in the context of that place? Editor: I see the appeal, but the materiality grounds me here. Think about the physical act of hauling a loaded brush, the economic realities shaping those pigment choices. This *isn't* just symbolism; it's evidence of material choices tied to a specific place and time and economy! Curator: I appreciate your perspective. Seeing the materiality and grounding it historically does give an interesting perspective and a better look into the meaning. Thank you! Editor: Likewise. Looking closely, its physical making invites so much further contextualisation.