Santa Fe New Mexico

Ocean Breeze

Background

At first glance, we see this painting as a Still Life, albeit an unusual one, with a glass vase holding a bunch of palm trees. We then notice a young couple, the scene reminiscent of another painting, Flirt. With the boat, we suppose the man is persuading the girl to accompany him on a sailing trip while the wind is favorable.

Key concept

Constantly we are drawn back to the center of the composition: the vase is empty yet contains a girl! The delicate bubble separates her inner world from the outside realm where the ocean breeze reigns free and the palm trees nod their heads in unison. The curtain in the foreground is symbolically a ‘sail’ filled with the ‘wind of hope;’ the hope of a romantic excursion. Similar symbolism can be found in an earlier work of the artist, Wind, where a billowing shirt is a ‘sail of hope.’ The wind twists the clouds into conch shells that mirror those brought to the table by the ocean. Both sky and ocean are elements from which man derives his energy.