Study for ‘A Game of Bowls’ 1989

Editor: Here we have Edwin Austin Abbey's "Study for 'A Game of Bowls'," created in 1898. It's a watercolor painting, and what strikes me is the light, almost dreamlike quality despite the realism of the figures. What catches your eye? Curator: I'm drawn to how Abbey uses color to evoke a specific era. The pastel shades, almost faded, speak to a longing for a romanticized past, a nostalgic gaze cast upon earlier forms of leisure. Notice the costumes; what memories or cultural touchstones might they be trying to access? Editor: They seem like something out of a historical drama, all those high collars and wide-brimmed hats! It gives the game a theatrical feel. So, is he referencing specific symbols or meanings through these figures and their clothing? Curator: I think Abbey is intentionally utilizing established visual shorthands. The costumes signal a time of supposed elegance and order, a harkening back to simpler times that is often illusory, though. Even the game of bowls itself— a pastime associated with the leisure classes— is imbued with a certain symbolism of societal harmony and controlled activity. Editor: That’s fascinating! So it's not just a picture of people playing a game. The artist uses elements like the clothes to signify something larger about the era, and ideas about it, right? Curator: Precisely. And think about the choice of watercolor. The fluid, somewhat ethereal nature of the medium contributes to this sense of memory and idealized reflection, lending an atmospheric quality to the depicted figures as if looking back through the mists of time. How does the landscape play into this effect? Editor: I guess the open space contributes to the leisurely feel, making it more serene and removed from, say, an urban environment. Curator: Precisely. In Abbey’s artistic rendering, the simple act of playing bowls becomes a tableau vivant – a meditation on time, class, and the enduring human desire for an idealized past. It offers such insight into his, and our, present moment through careful references. Editor: It’s amazing how much meaning can be embedded in what seems like a simple scene! Thanks for unraveling those layers for me.