Départ De Régates Dans Le Midi, St. Tropez c. 1920s

Curator: So, we're looking at Henri Lebasque's "Départ De Régates Dans Le Midi, St. Tropez," painted circa the 1920s. I'm curious to get your first take, as you stand here before it. What does it bring up for you? Editor: Instantly, a sensation of breathless anticipation. It's awash in light, pale blues and creams, conveying this charged moment right before a race, and for me it really embodies something of that interwar period—all this vibrant activity poised right before great upheaval. Curator: Precisely. And what’s striking is that Lebasque created this "en plein air," capturing the essence of the Mediterranean light firsthand. Do the sails feel symbolic to you at all, almost as an allegory of human aspiration? Editor: Absolutely, the sails immediately register as symbols. Note how their triangular shapes pierce the sky, mirroring a sense of upward striving, and the lighthouse that stands stoically in the background acts almost like the superego of this sunny seaside town, guiding desires toward safety. I wonder what it meant for him, culturally, to fixate on a detail such as the light against sails, specifically, during the 20's. Curator: It’s this sense of breezy, carefree leisure. These leisure activities—that whole lifestyle—became potent signifiers. And the way he layers the brushstrokes really contributes to this shimmering, ephemeral feeling. How do you interpret that foreground trio, standing on the harbor? Editor: Well, to me, they look like watchers—a little huddled, bundled. Almost spectators, aware of the drama about to unfold, they appear quite grounded within the swirling waters, but separate from them too, more humanized—possibly in relation to Lebasque, as he’s painting. They introduce a kind of social element; where the sea meets the town and vice versa. They create an element of timelessness. Curator: Exactly, almost framing the scene, bringing it from the grand spectacle back down to an intimate human scale. It’s all about that delicate balance between light and form, movement and stillness. This image really represents France between the wars. I do hope that, by considering the play of imagery and meaning, some of the art’s original vitality may return to you, too. Editor: And for me, it feels less like witnessing a sporting event and more like a distillation of a particular moment—a convergence of place, feeling, and, dare I say, even history. Thanks for bringing me back into this scene from Southern France in the early 20's, if only for a moment.