To eyes trained on traditional realism, a painting like the above might seem an anxious jumble of shapes and colors. And that’s exactly what it is, but for a good reason: Picasso’s “Night Fishing at Antibes” (1939) looks the way it does because it is a fever dream of life on the brink of crushing violence.
Picasso painted this work shortly after he completed his anti-war masterpiece, “Guernica” (below). When he painted “Night Fishing” he was well-aware that he was working in the looming shadow of a second World War, which broke out in Europe just a few weeks after he finished it.
Pablo Picasso, “Guernica,” 1937, oil on canvas, 349.3 cm × 776.5 cm (137.4 in × 305.5 in)
In 1939, daily life central Europe was darkening under an ominous cloud of foreboding, fear, and disgust with humanity’s failings. Traditional lifestyles and familial relationships were being tested, and many would soon be torn apart. Artists like Picasso saw it coming and used their work to express the anguished truths that otherwise they would have felt ashamed to ignore.
The two fishermen in Picasso‘s painting appear bent, cramped, and unlucky; under the glare of city lights and an ineffective lantern, the fisherman on the left leans out over the side and glares to see his spear just missing his quarry. On the right, a girl with a bicycle licks an ice cream cone and a second figure, perhaps the wife of one of the fishermen, seems to be waving, apparently with some concern. The main fisherman mechanistically tries to catch his prey, but the trident he’s using has yet to claim the life of the fish – there’s still a chance that it will get away.
As writer Maria Reidy writes about this painting in the Worcester Journal, “in today’s news and in individual lives there always lies aspects of uncertainty, of apprehension, and a fear of what is to come.” The hand of fate seems to hold “two radically different possibilities, for death or a small sliver of hope…. This is not just ‘a Picasso,’ she writes “This is a testament to our own lives, and what lies ahead.”
The huge (6 x 11 feet) work is drawing crowds now that it’s newly on view at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Viewers are struck by its tone, evidently feeling its sympathetic portrait of difficult times. One prescient writer who traced parallels between the way life felt then and the way it feels in our time, commented, “We are all Picasso’s fishermen”
Great artists like Picasso serve us with sensitivity to our common human condition. Like poetry that Ezra Pound once called “news that stays news,” our most important art reflects deep and complex human experiences, and thus it stays perpetually relevant.
“Dreamscape” Wins Top Prize in Monthly PleinAir Salon
Jen Starling, “Dreamscape,” Oil, 16 x 12 in., First Place Overall in the June 2025 PleinAir Salon
Denver artist Jen Starling’s evocative painting titled “Dreamscape” won Overall First Place in the June 2025 PleinAir Salon, judged by artist Larry Moore.
Jen tells us this painting was inspired by some beautiful white roses. Because they were falling apart, they had “extremely unusual shapes and patterns.”
“The biggest challenge while painting ‘Dreamscape’ was capturing the variety of temperatures in the shadows,” she said. “They varied from a warm orangish glow toward the inside and cooler purple in other areas. I’m always interested in pushing saturation, but there is a limit. That limit can often be hard to determine, especially in the shadows. I’m not so much chasing the realistic colors that I see, but using what I see as a starting point to find a harmony that I find appealing.”
“’Dreamscape’ is a great example of making the ordinary extraordinary,” said Larry. “The way the flowers float in the dark space is compelling. The space itself has variety in the negative shapes; no two distances are the same. There is a beautiful range of variety in mark-making and edges, and the flowers themselves move forward and backward in space.”
Jen Starling
“I was completely thrilled to receive first place over all,” Jen said. “I was secretly hoping to win the top prize, but as each previous award was announced, I was preparing myself to be disappointed. It just seemed too much to hope for, so when it was announced, I gasped (startled my cat) and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.”
Artist Statement:
“My work makes a personal statement that is an amalgamation of my experiences, and a desire for deep connection with others, the natural world, and myself. It speaks to the search for meaning, peace, and spiritual connection that is inherently human. I aim to show a complexity of emotion in my subjects, including vulnerability. When people witness vulnerability in others, compassion ensues and allows them to feel connected regardless of their differences. When viewing my work, I wish for there to be an exchange that validates the viewer’s humanity and ignites self-awareness. It is from this place of vulnerability that growth and healing are possible.”
Additional PleinAir® Salon Winning Paintings by Jen Starling
Jen Starling, “A Fleeting Glimpse,” oil, 16 x 20 in., Second Place Overall in the May 2025 PleinAir Salon
Jen Starling, “Before Dawn,” oil, 9 x 12 in., Best Still Life in the May 2025 PleinAir Salon
Connect with Jen Starling at jenstarlingart.com.
About the PleinAir® Salon:
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online art competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the annual Salon Grand Prize winners, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition. The PleinAir® Salon rewards artists with $50,000 in cash prizes and exposure of their work, with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine.
Winners in each monthly competition may receive recognition and exposure through PleinAir Magazine’s print magazine, e-newsletters, websites, and social media. Winners of each competition will also be entered into the annual competition. The Annual Awards will be presented live at the next Plein Air Convention & Expo.
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. Enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
