Flottans Badhus 1907

Eugène Jansson created this painting, Flottans Badhus, with muted colors in shades of blue and brown. Looking at it, I imagine Jansson layering the paint thinly, one stroke at a time to build up the image. I wonder what it was like for him to make this work, deciding where to place each figure, how to pose them. And look at the bodies, each one distinct in its posture and gaze. There’s a tension between the individual and the group, with each figure caught in their own private moment. The figure leaning against the pole, back facing us, is especially evocative. What is he thinking? What does he see? The painting reminds me of others who have painted bathers, like Cézanne, but Jansson's is unique. He wasn't afraid to embrace ambiguity, to leave things unsaid. And that's what makes it so compelling. It invites us to participate, to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work. It is the ongoing conversation that artists have with one another across time.