Turisten på Teneriffa 1916

Curator: Let's talk about Nils Dardel's "Tourists in Tenerife," painted in 1916, using oil paint with an impasto technique. What catches your eye first? Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the layering of color—thick daubs of white, teal, and red that almost vibrate on the canvas. The materiality feels as important as the figures themselves. Curator: Indeed. The visible brushstrokes suggest the speed of the artist's hand, but what of the recurring symbolic images? For instance, note the presence of clown-like figures in pointed hats: do you get any symbolic associations from those? Editor: The conical hats read as festive, perhaps mocking societal norms with their whimsical angle and suggest labor: are those party decorations they are installing at the hotel or resort, or are the tourists being 'performed' at? Curator: That reading accounts well for its post-impressionistic style, too. Dardel emphasizes his subjective perception using impasto. But consider the broader symbolic framework – the dog staring out towards us, the distant clusters of colourful cubic homes? How do those elements play into this narrative? Editor: The dog has the most solid outline and bold use of black in the whole composition, which is the boldest choice here, since even the dark trunk of the palm is made of a wash of blended strokes. Its gaze draws us to reflect about being a part of the tableau. That, along with the style suggesting 'naive art,' asks the viewer to reflect about tourism. Curator: I see what you mean, and to deepen that association to naive or outsider art – consider how it invites comparisons and contrasts – how art making as labour mirrors the holiday-making as pleasure. Editor: Exactly. It all underscores the commodification of experiences that underpin mass tourism. Curator: It makes a thought-provoking contrast: Dardel shows labour being a pleasure, just like holidays should be! Well, thank you for giving such detailed material consideration of this striking artwork, where labor is quite evident, despite being almost purely a subjective impression! Editor: It was a delight! Understanding its construction enriches the reading of all the cultural cues contained inside the pictorial space.