Hiroshima 1994

"Hiroshima" (1994) by Bo Bartlett is a poignant realist painting that depicts a serene landscape with a somber undercurrent. The image showcases a Japanese rice paddy field, where figures work amidst a quiet, late-afternoon light. A large, red fish-shaped kite floats in the sky, a symbol of hope and resilience, against a backdrop of hills and a distant, hazy city skyline. The composition evokes a sense of peace and tranquility, while subtly alluding to the devastating impact of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Bartlett's use of muted tones and detailed brushstrokes emphasizes the beauty and fragility of life in the face of tragedy.