The miniature work was written during the First World War, when the whole of Europe was preoccupied with military actions, waiting for news, anxiety about the fate of loved ones. The artist himself at this time leaves Paris for the southern seaboard.
“Escape” was associated with a heavy and depressive atmosphere in the French capital, on the one hand, as well as new romantic relationships with the Russian ballerina Khokhlova. At sea, the master felt an extraordinary surge of creative energy and physical strength. Gone is the tension associated with the war and creative quest.
The resort atmosphere has helped to relieve all tension and enjoy life. Swimming in the sea at the beginning of the 20th century was not yet universally accepted custom. The beaches came to walk and breathe the sea air. Therefore, the subject of the picture is very revolutionary and on the verge of decency. On the seashore are three women in colorful swimsuits. Unnatural postures, disrupted body proportions, but unusually plastic figures, movements are flirtatious and refined. In the work, some signs of the cubic perception of the world are still guessed, however, the author has already lost interest in this direction and is actively looking for new ways in painting.
The background is a sea surface, animated by a sailboat, a beacon on a cliff, as well as stylized clouds located in the upper right corner. Master perfectly managed to convey the sea surface. The texture of water is maintained in the strict traditions of realism.
The coloring of the picture is varied. Subdued tones of the background explode with bright colors of bathing suits. The work is full of some decoration, grace and subtle irony. The viewer feels the joy and happiness of the artist who wrote the work in one of the happiest and most prosperous periods of his life.
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