Summer day at the river 

Pericles Pantazis painted ‘Summer Day at the River’ using oil on canvas in the late 19th century, a period of significant social and political transformation across Europe. Pantazis, a Greek painter who spent much of his career in France and Belgium, brings an impressionistic eye to this landscape. The feathery brushstrokes and focus on light create a fleeting sense of the moment, but beyond the surface, we might consider how leisure and nature were being depicted at this time. As urban centers grew and industrialized, there was an increasing nostalgia for the countryside. Here we see figures taking respite near the river. Who were these people that had the luxury to spend a summer day at leisure? Perhaps Pantazis is also touching on the burgeoning middle class, even as he seems more interested in the play of light on water. There’s a tension between the aesthetic beauty of the scene, and the social realities of the time. Pantazis captures a moment of tranquility, yet it’s impossible to ignore the historical context that shapes who has access to such moments.