Boats at Royan 1910

Curator: Samuel Peploe's "Boats at Royan," painted in 1910, just bursts with color. He was clearly influenced by the Fauvist movement and captured this coastal scene en plein air, using vibrant oil paints. What's your initial feeling when you look at it? Editor: Glee! Seriously, it makes me ridiculously happy. It’s like sunshine on canvas, even though there isn’t that much explicit sunshine, know what I mean? The colours feel audacious but confident somehow. It makes you want to grab your swim suit and do some serious diving into the moment, into that bay. Curator: Audacious is a good word. He definitely simplifies forms to emphasize colour relationships, doesn’t he? Note how the masts reach skyward. For centuries, masts on ships and even buildings had a distinct phallic symbology representing masculine energy and power. In many cultures they were used for signaling or navigation and that function is closely related to masculinity, as well as exploration and conquest. Editor: Woah, deep stuff! My first thought went more towards… carefree relaxation. Like these masts are skinny cocktail sticks for the clouds. This city is more about leisure than serious expeditions, right? Although you have the suggestion of a slightly imposing tower on the side. What do you know about that? Curator: Good eye. The tower, or perhaps a lighthouse, symbolizes guidance and stability, very classic symbology. This echoes across centuries and has deep roots. Think of ancient lighthouses – beacons in the night, showing the safe passage. Editor: Interesting! Even its palette gives me pause. See the oranges against the lavender blues. They create these harmonic echoes. I could stare at it for ages. There is something so raw about his brushstrokes and his unusual approach. And yet it creates harmony and pleasure. Curator: It is a study in visual relationships. Peploe certainly left us with a piece that encapsulates a moment of joyful discovery. His work lives on. Editor: Totally. Makes you want to drop everything and paint! Thanks, Samuel Peploe, for a healthy jolt of happiness today.