Boulogne, from the Beautiful Bathers series (N192) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: Let's take a closer look at this print, "Boulogne, from the Beautiful Bathers series," created around 1889 by William S. Kimball & Co. It's currently part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The medium involves drawing with colored pencil, and the final product is a print. Editor: Immediately, the image gives off a distinct feeling of buoyant energy, the way the figure decisively points into the distance! The combination of the confident gesture, the striking red bathing costume, and those jaunty ribbons, all create a sense of optimism and forward movement. Curator: That striking red, you'll notice, is deployed with careful intention to create this idealized image of women, placing her within the growing social changes surrounding female emancipation and athleticism that began defining popular imagery during this time period. How do you interpret the background? Editor: I find the backdrop of simplified sea and sky particularly fascinating. The use of closely-placed stippling, in both light blue and beige, creates an almost abstract setting that focuses the eye on the figure’s form. Note also that the lines of the horizon, the figure’s silhouette, and the ribbons create a diagonal organization, intensifying the composition’s forward drive. Curator: That forward movement arguably signals the era’s gradual acknowledgement of the burgeoning presence and evolving societal role of women. She seems ready to seize that change. The Japonisme influence—evident in the flattening of the background and emphasis on linear form—speaks to a broader global shift in aesthetic sensibilities, wouldn’t you say? It really draws from multiple contexts. Editor: Certainly. The flatness directs our focus towards her figure. Furthermore, notice the limited color palette and the caricature-like qualities of the rendering which reduces detail. These visual elements reinforce that singular gesture. It's all about simplification and essence. Curator: In this reading, considering both the historical currents and formal aspects of "Boulogne", we gain a more complex appreciation for the narrative and agency depicted. Editor: Yes, and thinking about the interplay of line and color, we can better understand how this piece functions as a visual statement.