Saint Anton (Flat Light) 1996

Peter Doig created "Saint Anton (Flat Light)" to depict a ski resort, a setting often associated with leisure and privilege. Yet, through his unique style, Doig complicates this image. Consider the flatness of the light. It almost seems to erase the depth, the physical reality, of the landscape. It is as if the painting is not just about a place, but about a feeling – the alienation and detachment that can exist even in spaces of recreation. The ski resort, typically a site of pleasure, becomes a space of quiet isolation. Doig's choice to emphasize the "flat light" pushes us to consider how perception shapes our experience of place and identity. The painting invites us to reflect on how our environments can both shape and reflect our inner states. The tension between the picturesque landscape and the emotional undercurrent reminds us that even in moments of leisure, deeper, more complex feelings can be present.