Classical & Traditional

I'm sorry, I just had a creative itch

Fish swimming in the dark, in oil paint - feedback is welcome

Can you spot the two lovers on that painting ?

acrylic on canvas on panel

Prairie Whales

Size: 16" x 10"

Medium: Acrylic

Support: Canvas

When I stand at the edge of a field out in the belly of the Canadian prairies i can't help but think of the ocean.  The way the grass waves in the wind. The distant whine of working farm equipment.  The dappled sunlight coming through scattered clouds. 

I love this painting because it feels like a dream, but also because it's the first I've painted my backyard.  Well, the field behind my backyard, and there's no whales out there. 

Probably.

I’ve been intrigued by this painting, ever since I saw a post on Instagram analysing what it could mean. I have searched Reddit for opinions but I haven’t found many opinions like mine. Curious to know what you think.

Firstly, I do agree that the women could be prostitutes because of visual details such as the red heels, more revealing clothing, and the intimate setting. However, I do NOT think the artist is trying to shame or degrade them. If anything, I think he gives them humanity and complexity rather than reducing them to stereotypes.

The women are clearly the emotional focus of the painting. The artist gives far more attention to their expressions, movements and interactions, while the man is not even fully shown - the artist didn’t even bother giving him a face. Although his clothing suggests wealth, I think the artist is saying the man is less important. The man does have a ring on so, in terms of the name of the painting, I see him as the true “meddler” because he’s dragging the woman into his affair.

Secondly, I interpret the woman with one shoe as someone trying to escape. The red mark around her mouth stands out because it looks different from the other woman’s lips. Whether it is a bleeding lip or smudged lipstick, it appears intentional. I also think that if the artist wanted her to appear flirtatious or playful, he could have painted even a small coy smile, but he did not. I can see on his other paintings he does pay a great deal of attention to expressions, Instead, her expression feels more distressed and serious. Combined with the missing shoe and the room being in disarray, this creates a feeling of panic and urgency, as though something has happened very suddenly.

I also think the painting presents both the softness and strength of women. The flowers and delicate details around the room create a sense of femininity, beauty and warmth. At the same time, the standing woman appears to be helping and protecting her friend, showing strength and loyalty. Her expression almost amused, giving her personality and humour rather than making her feel passive. It’s like he wanted to show her as clever and humorous. This makes the women feel like real people with relationships and emotions rather than one-dimensional ‘just a prostitute’.

Finally, small details in the room suggest that the women have lives and identities outside of men. Like the knocked basket of knitting needles and the beautifully arranged flowers. I also found the tiny painting in the background interesting because I could see two possible interpretations: either a knocked-over vase or two women helping another woman up - this could be a stretch from me though.

Overall, I don’t think the artist is trying to present women as “daft prostitutes”. Instead, I think he portrays them as strong, intelligent and human, while the man acts more as the disruption to their world rather than the centre of it.

Image from https://www.artrenewal.org/artworks/lintrigant/victor-marais-milton/69486