The Quay at Dinard 1911

Ethel Carrick’s ‘The Quay at Dinard’ is full of life, painted with visible brushstrokes and a bright but restricted palette. You can almost feel the air moving, smell the sea, and see the light bouncing off the water! I imagine Carrick, standing there, squinting, trying to capture the atmosphere of this busy scene. The white sails of the boat, echoed in the parasols, feel so fresh against the blues of the sea and sky. The brushwork is broken and impressionistic, the paint applied in dashes and strokes, with a real sense of immediacy. Look at how she renders the figures on the quay – each one is so distinct, yet their forms merge into a single, lively mass. You can sense the influence of painters like Manet, yet Carrick brings her own sensibility to the work. It’s a painting that's about a moment in time, a celebration of light, color, and the joy of being alive. It reminds us that art is all about conversation, each artist building on the ideas of those who came before, adding their own voice to the mix.