Two Boys On The Shore 1922

Pekka Halonen captured these two kids on what looks like a grey but bright day. I love the thick strokes of blues, pinks and browns that make up the rocks and water, they are quite material. You know, painting is a way of seeing, thinking and feeling the world; Halonen here is doing it with gusto, look at the way he’s captured the light on their skin. You can almost feel the cool water and the sun, and the feeling of being a kid, playing on the shore. This work is giving me vibes of other painters like Anders Zorn who also liked to paint bodies of water with figures frolicking around! It makes you think about how artists, over time, are always having a chat with each other, and this piece definitely joins that conversation.