National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne *not on display*
Serusier was a disciple of Paul Gauguin. Guaguin himself was revolutionary, breaking from Impressionism. He believed and practised abstraction, taking from nature and using his imagination and memory to guide him. This idea of Sythetism was subjective, and Serusier was more than happy to adopt the same method. Using bold colours, vivid brushstrokes, and contrasts is one of his specialities. The painting shows three boys on the bank. One in the water, waiting for his second friend to jump in with him, and his third watching the scene play out. The grass and lines are smooth and look soft, and the water is rough and calm enough for a swim. The green bushes and lily pads add to the story, and the careless way their clothes are pushed away to a corner shows the absolute joy on their faces. It is a simple painting, without many elements. It is this simplicity that depicts the innocence of childhood. It looks like spring or summer, with the vacations waiting for them. And their first task? To take this to the lake and jump headfirst into it. This painting and it's exemplery use of Sythetism show that he respects Guernica deeply and owes him a debt of gratitude.
It is a painting about childhood and more importantly, fun. The scene depicts three boys simply enjoying their time together and enjoying nature, painted in such a way that the figures suit the natural background, as though one is not so different from the other. In texturing the entire piece, each boy is given a unique sense of highlights and shadows, while the river and grass have substance to each that delivers the weight of the boys' presence.
