The Beach
Pablo Picasso
Two Women Running on the Beach, 1922
One might imagine that when Van Morrison wrote “...let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic…” he had that feeling of sitting on the water’s edge, looking out onto the ocean’s horizon, and feeling the encompassing sound of the waves crashing. It is that feeling that comes when you are near to the ocean that is at once exciting, peaceful and freeing. The beach is a fun place, a warm place, and moreover it is a liberating place that seems to have endless potential to nourish the human spirit.
Claude Monet
The Beach at Trouville, 1870
Edgar Degas
Beach Scene, 1877
As beaches around the world have begun reopening, they seem to be unsurprisingly drawing people to their landscapes. Given the right precautions and respect for social distancing, they might provide the feeling of escape and sunshine that we’ve been longing for as individuals. Quarantine has shown us just how quickly human beings tend to move through the world, and as we trickle out of our homes, it might be important to slow down and appreciate the beautiful planet that we occupy. Using the sand and the sea as a place to continue distancing from other people, we may actually be able to find it gives us a sense of connection. At the beach, we find connection to the family and loved ones we visit them with, connection to nature once again, and perhaps to ourselves with the peaceful encouraging sounds of introspection.
Mary Cassatt
Children Playing on the Beach, 1884
Henri Matisse
View of Collioure, 1905
