The marriage between the blue hole and the electric pole is the key of this work.It induces a virtual vertical line across the surface that makes the counterpoint to all the horizontal and sloping lines of the picture. Without that, we would be immediately brought over visualy to the right side of the canvas because of the stylish villa;moreover the yellow dash of vegetation on the left side of the electric pole is also there to invite the eyes to look at this area too: this the indispensable condition in order to get a well balanced composition. Of course the road does not go to the house as we could expect:no,but it disappears in the shade behind this famous electric pole to brutally turn on the right in order again to allow the eyes to take a close look the field where we detect the track of the white road, tapestry of yellow flowers and finally,the golden signature. Not to forget the couple of red flowers (poppies?)in the lower part,they stay right in the axis of the blue hole: they talk thanks to the electric pole with the endless blue sky(The cypress close to the villa has the same symbolic function:it points to the sky and invites us to mental elevation). So then a marriage between two primary hues: blue and red. The yellow hue is not far away. Of course,we have to speak about the variety of colored grey too invading all the surfaces and of the menacing shadow that covers little by little the hill on the right side:in a few minutes,the sunny view will disappear... As ephemeral as life.
Thanks Julian for the lovely paintings of places in the area where you live. How I would love to be there on those roads. They led to a wonderful lesson on composition by Alain that will help me view paintings and make better photographs.
Don't you think that the sky of Julian reminds of the sky of Vermeer in his "Delft view"? The same aerial perspective and sense of depth and motion? The same sense of monumental space too, underlined and strengthened by the tiny size of the house as exactly the same with the small houses with red roofs in the middle part of Vermeer painting.
Regards
No need to apologize, Julian, but I always wonder about you when I haven't seen a painting in a while. I do so love seeing your work, and I always look forward to every painting that you do.
I love the expanse in this work, and the hole in the cloud really "makes" the painting - almost heart-shaped.
Dear Julian, so glad to see a painting appear again and great that your works are going to hang in Hotel Crillon Le Brave!
Suddenly I've become unwell and been put on strong painkillers! They have the strange effect of making me very receptive to this painting, made me feel like a bird flying into the silvery horizon, a feeling of cool air and space which is very welcome right now.
Alain, what you say is very interesting, almost had a "Stendahl moment"!
Anna.
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