Summer Eclogue No. 1: Cyclists 1950

Editor: This is Robert Medley's "Summer Eclogue No. 1: Cyclists," painted sometime in the twentieth century. It feels like a hazy memory of a day at the beach. What do you make of the recurring triangular shape and the overall composition? Curator: That golden triangle—isn't it cheeky? It slices through the languid scene, almost as if Medley's poking fun at the tradition of pastoral landscapes. And yet, it's also grounding, isn't it? It suggests a pathway, a shared space. What do you feel when you see all those figures, some cycling, some lounging? Editor: There is something idyllic about them; the painting overall feels very warm. Curator: Yes, the haziness you noticed really evokes that feeling. I can almost smell the sunscreen! The bicycles could represent freedom and escape, or even just the simple joy of movement. What a pleasant daydream! Editor: I hadn't thought about the bicycles as symbols before. I'll never look at cycling the same way again!