Two young women sit in a small boat on a lake. One, in blue, looks off to the side, her hand resting near the water. The other, in grey and white with a straw hat, gazes at something we can't see. Ducks paddle past. The water and the trees are a shimmer of greens.
It's a summer afternoon in Paris, almost a century and a half ago. And it might be exactly what you need in January.
Berthe Morisot, Summer's Day, about 1879. The National Gallery, London
A lake in the Bois de Boulogne
The scene is one of the lakes in the Bois de Boulogne, on the western edge of Paris, where Parisians went boating on fine days. Morisot lived nearby, in Passy, and painted the park often.
Look at how she paints the water: long, quick, zigzagging strokes, some of them barely touching the canvas. Critics of her day sometimes called her work unfinished. Today, that speed is exactly what makes it feel alive. You can almost feel the boat rocking.
Why summer paintings help in winter
In the darkest months, we can't always change the weather. But looking at warmth and light, even painted light, can soften the mood of a grey day. Memory and imagination are powerful: a few minutes with a summer scene can bring back the feeling of sun on your skin.
A summer meditation for a grey day
- Look at the painting for a minute, and let your eyes rest on the brightest greens.
- Close your eyes and imagine you're in the boat. Feel the gentle rocking, the wooden seat, the warmth on your shoulders.
- Listen: water lapping, ducks, distant voices across the lake.
- Breathe in slowly and imagine the smell of summer: cut grass, warm water, sun cream.
- Stay for five breaths. Then open your eyes and carry one small piece of that warmth into your afternoon.
For cosy days at home, there's cocooning, hygge's Parisian cousin. And to meet earlier women painters, here are five women who painted in 18th-century France.
Light, all year round
"(letters) On Art" brings a letter and a postcard every month, and each season the printed issue of "(meditating) On Art". Light and colour, all year round.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi