Looking seaward for the boats, Normandy 

Curator: This watercolour, titled "Looking seaward for the boats, Normandy," is attributed to John Absolon. Editor: It has this dreamy, melancholic quality, doesn't it? The soft palette and that solitary figure staring out to sea create such a wistful atmosphere. Curator: Absolon's work often captures scenes of everyday life. His social commentary on labor, leisure, and class is really intriguing. I think this work serves as commentary on gendered labor and a culture that often depends on perilous ocean crossings. Editor: Perilous is right. Notice the details of the materials? The coarse woven skirt of the young woman contrasts so sharply with the vastness of the open sea. There’s a rawness to her clothing, and her tools: the fishing net and creel. It really brings to mind the tangible realities of maritime life. I find the rough texture almost jarring when placed near the airy watercolor painting itself. Curator: Yes, her attire anchors her to her time, but she also becomes somewhat universal. People relate differently to social change, so for viewers throughout time she represents so many. The watercolor medium certainly conveys atmosphere— the weather in these coastal zones informs not only lives and fortunes, but moods too! I think she could evoke any period to a lot of people. Editor: You know, I appreciate the way the composition draws your eye towards the horizon. It really highlights her isolation. She is perched up on the overlook while the whole industry plays out on the coast below her. This contrast is striking and evokes loneliness as well as isolation. Curator: And Absolon, working at this time, presents the life as picturesque but with, as we have said, social elements. But what of those aesthetic conventions – what impact did that have on perceptions and maybe policies relating to those very fishing communities? Editor: That's a sharp observation. Perhaps Absolon was less focused on accurate documentary and more interested in the painting, thus missing elements or making choices that reflect something besides the reality of maritime workers. Curator: Thinking about it that way certainly provides some modern food for thought on who can represent who. Editor: Indeed. It certainly speaks to how artwork frames conversations about society even today.