Saturday Salon: A Favorite Painting

Yes, I know, impossibly cheery and happy - nothing to sink your teeth into. But I love it anyway. THE ARBOUR by Australian painter Emanuel Phillips Fox (1865 - 1915). A good painting for a beautiful Mother's Day Weekend Salon, I think.

I most especially like the clever use of the black and white striped dress in the left-hand side of the painting. It is this which keeps the work, I think, from sinking into a sugary abyss. To my mind, that pattern anchors the painting. Love the use of light as well and the mellow feel of the family caught in a happy (and very elegant) moment outdoors.

To read an overview of Emanuel Phillips Fox, please go here.

A family on its way to a happy day on the water. Note that another striped dress appears to serve the same purpose as in the previous painting.