The Messenger 2018

Bo Bartlett painted "The Messenger," an oil on linen, in the United States. The image is striking for its still, eerie quality. The bike, a blue, old-fashioned model, sits upright as if waiting for its owner to return. Painted in a realist style, the details are sharp, and the composition is simple. We might consider how the painting is indicative of wider trends in American art. In the 1980s, many American artists reacted against the dominance of abstract art by returning to realism. The bike itself may be symbolic of a lost American innocence, a time when life was simpler and slower. The beach scene in the background adds to this sense of nostalgia, a kind of longing for the past. The fact that Bartlett leaves the painting open to interpretation only adds to its power. To better understand Bartlett’s work, one might examine the influence of artists such as Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper, who also depicted American life in a realistic style. By situating art in a specific social and institutional context, we are better able to understand its significance.