Fishing Boats On the Beach At Les Saintes

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Fishing Boats On The Beach at Les Saintes - Marie’s-de-la-Mer

                  Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1888), Arles, June 1888
                                  Oil on Canvas 65 cm. X81.5cm
                                  Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam


                                        sky stunning sapphire,
                                       sea enchanting emerald
                                       sand spectacular turquoise
                                           sailboats in a row…
                                  waiting for fishermen to board
                                and take them to the deepest sea,
                                 where they will triumphantly join 
                               other boats which are already sailing!

                                          sky magical mauve,
                                       cerulean waves crashing on
                                              sand amber jade.
                                        the long poles on the boats
                                    rusty from many years’ humidity
                                     from the cold water, and fishes.
                                 boats..waiting for their men to board..
                                  breathtaking brides waiting for their
                                              gorgeous grooms, 
                                         with love and anticipation.

                                    chartreuse waves roaring and rolling
                                 away from the beach, sailboats floating
                                      far in the ocean..as if in a trance….
                                  mythical, mystical... alluring...seductive,
                                      the ones still waiting for their clan
                                      to join them, in the celestial blue!


                                 
Notes: Top picture is my own painting, done in summer of 2021. My painting is in acrylic. Van Gogh's painting reminds me of Ernest Hemingway's Nobel- winning Novel - The Old Man And The Sea. 

Van Gogh has described with joy his visit to the Mediterranean shore near Arles at the fishing village of Sainte-Maries, where he painted and drew for several days. It was a new world for him, and he responded to it with his usual eagerness and excitement. 

In the picture of the fishing boats, two different kinds of vision are united in one work: nature is seen as light and airy, in countless tones of high-keyed color, ever-changing and vibrant through universal contrast; on the other hand, man's objects, the boats, drawn precisely and painted in flat airless tones of primary color. The pearly softness of the seascape becomes a setting for the hard, firmly compartmented colors of the boats. But these boats, disposed along the beach beside one another, overlapping and with crossing masts, make an intricate network of spots and colored lines, which participate in the unstable airy shiftings of the natural tones, in the irregular patterns of the seashore and the waves, and the vast currents of the shapeless clouds. This network of the boats is a typical pattern of Van Gogh's vision; it had appeared already in his Dutch period in the drawings of trees, and as in those early works the branchings of the boat are drawn with unflagging devotion to the detailed individual shapes. 

The color ranges from the frank primary hues of the boats to tones of iridescence in the sky, with delicate blues, greens, and lavenders, and, on the beach, nameless sandy tones that are blendings of cool, neutralized yellow, tan, and brown. Just as the painting is Impressionist in the subtle discriminations and pairings of cool and warm, so in the application of the paint, there is a corresponding span from thin, flecked, and transparent touches to thick and matte.  Courtesy of www.VincentVanGogh.org


                                                    April 5, 2022
                             Brian Strand Premiere Choice Poetry Contest
                                                 SEVENTH PLACE

                                  "Expertise In Verse" Poetry Contest
                                           Sponsor:Jaymee Thomas

Copyright © | Year Posted 2022



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Date: 4/14/2022 11:56:00 AM
Mala, your talents keep rolling in like waves to the beach - writing and painting!!! This poem moves like lyrical tides and through your vibrant imagery and color words I can picture the scene, hear the texture and sound of the waves crashing and receding! Thank you for the delightful art history lesson. Beautifully done my friend! Congratulations! Hugs and blessings. Happy Easter! A day at the beach is always a vacation!
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Date: 4/10/2022 9:57:00 AM
Mala, your art is beautiful and your poem and words outstanding, and congratulations on your win in Brian's contest, very deserving ~Constance
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Date: 4/8/2022 8:44:00 PM
Back to you with Congratulations on your beautiful poem. I got introduced to this novel poetic form only recently.
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Ray Choudhury Avatar
Malabika Ray Choudhury
Date: 4/9/2022 5:22:00 AM
Thanks, Valsa, for your kind comment. This form is new to me too.
Date: 4/8/2022 4:26:00 AM
Beautiful poem with an elaborate note. Congratulations!
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Malabika Ray Choudhury
Date: 4/8/2022 10:16:00 AM
Thank you, Dear dear Friend. Your visit is always delightful.
Date: 4/7/2022 2:01:00 AM
Congratulations on your awesome win dear Mala! This poem stands out!
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Malabika Ray Choudhury
Date: 4/7/2022 5:10:00 AM
Thank you , JCB, for your support, kindness and inspiration. You are the master of Ekphrasis - glad I have the opportunity to learn from you.
Date: 4/6/2022 8:07:00 AM
Mala Ji, the only art I began doing (watercolors then acrylic) are crosses and triangles for Trinity. Your work (top) is better than the Van Gogh - but I probably show my fascination with stunning color and ignorance. Loved this EKPHRASIS, as I recall Keats (Ode to Grecian Urn). Always, glad when U can visit my Page here on PS. anil Deo
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Ray Choudhury Avatar
Malabika Ray Choudhury
Date: 4/7/2022 5:09:00 AM
Thank you, Anil, for your lovely compliments - very much appreciated. I am more into music other than poetry and writing, but also passionate about many kinds of art. I have a video on You Tube which showcases some of my art pieces.
Date: 4/6/2022 4:59:00 AM
'Magical vermilion sky, cerulean waves,yellow jade sand'.... So picturesque and beautiful... Great read, Mala !
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Ray Choudhury Avatar
Malabika Ray Choudhury
Date: 4/6/2022 5:18:00 AM
Thanks, Valsa. My humble effort at Ekphrasis!
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