It’s summer, the dog days of, and what could be nicer and more refreshing than a stroll along the beach in the cool of the late afternoon or early evening? Monet takes us there in this painting of limestone crags, cousins of the White Cliffs of Dover, but these along the Normandy coast of France. It was somewhere along these cliffs, as Monet wrote to his second wife, Alice Hochede, that he lost a painting and nearly his life when a big wave came ashore and washed almost everything away with it. The perils of the beach should never be forgotten. Yet we love it truly, and especially when we see it as it is here, with dappled pink clouds against pale blue sky above the mirror of the sea. Monet even tints the sands of the beach a bit pink. What’s not to love about this scene? Shall we go there?
But wait! There are other beaches to explore. One does not often think of the rough, cockney-accented, J.M.W. Turner as someone who was particularly romantic, and certainly not as presented in Mike Leigh’s 2014 film, Mr Turner. However, there was something about the Kent Coast near Margate that captured his fancy, and it wasn’t just his lady friend, Mrs Booth.
Something about the sea and the setting sun must have made the old man go soft, for here we have children playing on the beach, dogs running in the surf, and grown-ups wading in the water. Even one of the names of the painting shows some of the action, as this painting is also called “I’ve lost My Boat; You shan’t have Your Hoop,” presumably the cries of the children. Golden days on a golden beach, as Turner transformed the sea and the sands into sparkles of golden light which reflect the magic of the setting sun’s last rays. However, not to be forgotten is the new moon, which shares the sky with that sunset.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Winslow Homer, America’s 19th century master of oils and watercolors, takes us to a potentially ominous stretch of water off the New England coast.
Homer lived most of his life in Maine, in and around Prouts Neck. Though this painting is from 1869, Homer really took to painting the sea after a stay in Britain in 1881-1882. He wound up living the last 25 years of his life in a cottage on a cliff overlooking the sea on a property owned by his family in Prouts Neck. That life long experience of the waters of the northern Atlantic shows up in this early seascape, where the waters have turned blackish-blue, and the pink from the sun’s rays are being overtaken by the gray fury of an oncoming storm. Those on the beach take cautious steps into the shallows, but may very well have to run from the wave that is about to break or suffer a severe smack-down.
This attraction to the waters was enhanced by Homer’s assignment for Century Magazine in 1884 when he was sent to capture the beauty of the Bahamas and Bermuda in winter. His task was to paint the lovely waters of the islands as promoters were beginning to see these islands as a winter getaway for those who wanted to escape the harsh northern cold. Certainly when compared to the beautiful but threatening waves in On the Beach, the lovely scene of Salt Kettle, Bermuda, invites one to relax in paradise.
Of course, the Mediterranean is another wonderful place to frollick in the waves. This master of capturing that summer-by-the-sea feeling is Joaquin Sorolla. Elegant women dressed all in pristine white, carrying umbrellas, and wearing big hats with wispy veils stroll along the beaches of Sorolla’s paintings (See “The Paintings of Joaquin Sorolla…” ofartandwine.com). Below we have children strolling the shore hand-in-hand, creating idyllic memories that will warm their hearts in the years to come even into old age.
Sorolla’s deft touch makes us feel the breeze just by looking at how the wind moves the cloth of the girl’s dress, while the freshness of the water comes forth from the shine on the naked child’s feet and legs. The waves roll in gently enough for other youngsters to play among them. Sorolla even captures that thin band of pearly white seafoam that is the last of a wave before it melts into the sands.
But what is a person to do when trapped far from the beach on the sweltering streets of the big city? Well, former mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, looked out one hot day in 2002 from the windows of the Hotel de Ville, Paris’ city hall, and decided that Paris needed its own beach. After all though France has three seacoasts, none of them front Paris. Nature’s insult had to be remedied. Et voilà, Paris Plage (Paris Beach)!
Leave it to the French not to be outdone by nature. Paris Beach has taken on a number of iterations over the years and has extended down to the quai just above the river Seine. I can tell you that there is always a breeze flowing down the river.
However, as we all know, sadly going to the beach in great numbers, even to a faux beach in the city, is not adviseable during the COVID 19 pandemic. Though we can still enjoy the photos of Paris’ special tribute to beach culture (2019), we shall have to put aside for now our dreams of having our own cities make us a downtown beach. Cool idea, though.
For one more chance to have an artful summer beach experience, Sarah Herring, a curator at London’s National Gallery, has put together some wonderful paintings by Degas, Constable, Monet, and others to help one have a virtual summer vacation. It is called Beach Scenes; see it on youtube.com.
Paintings used are in public domain.
Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.
Chilled Wines for a Pandemic Picnic
One thing that the pandemic does not change is what to eat and drink when you are having a beach picnic. Now I don’t say you have to fill the backyard, patio, or deck with sand, though a potted palm might create the atmosphere. Once the scene is set then you must focus on what to munch on. I say munch on because beach picnics are not to be confused with a backyard cook-out. (Some even make distinctions between a cook-out, normally a barbeque, and fish-fry, but we won’t get that complicated here.) The main thing about a picnic, even on an imaginary beach, is to keep it simple. We want to have good, tasty things, but ones that are easy to fix, easy to carry, and easy to consume. That means cold cuts, cold chicken, cheeses and crackers, stuffed olives, cornichons (those little fermented pickles), baquettes of bread, fresh fruits, and wine, of course.
Now for the wine, we are not having roasted meats or meats with spicy sauces. In fact, we are not cooking at the beach (nor in our patio or backyard for this); we are just eating light. That means we want light wines. Needless to say, almost any rosé would work well, but those made from Pinot Noir grapes are especially nice. If you feel like celebrating, a sparkling rosé is a wonderful choice, and some very nice ones are made from Syrah grapes. Of course they must be kept chilled, so don’t forget the cooler (unless you want to keep running to the fridge). Best temperature for a high quality sparkling rosé is about 45 degrees; ordinary less-expensive rosé is 41 degrees; and for inexpensive champagne, 37 degrees.
La vie en rose
However, one must not forget the wonderful freshness of white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc wines are either very dry or rather sweet, so be careful with selecting. The dry ones would go well with our cheeses and the cold chicken. Of course, since our picnic is at our homemade beach, you could always run to your favorite Japanese restaurant for some take- out sushi – yummy with Sauvignon Blanc. Chenin Blanc is more versatile overall, but for our picnic, it is best suited to the cold cuts, cold chicken, and cheeses.
Yes, summer makes us think of chilled rosé or Chenin Blanc, but there are red wines that really fill the bill in summer. Beaujolais or any of the wines from Gamay grapes are a bit lighter in taste. You could also experiment with a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc or an Italian Valpolicella. Red wines are normally drunk at room temperature or around 65 degrees. However, this is summertime, and with lighter reds, so it is okay to let your light Pinot Noir, or Beaujolais sit in an ice bucket of half ice and half water for about 15-20 minutes before serving. The temprature would be about 50 degrees. The heavier reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, should just be room temperature, and certainly no lower than 60 degrees, otherwise their flavors change and bring out unpleasant qualities attached to tannin levels.
While we don’t have to the luxury of going off to Canada for a tasting experience in an igloo (see the video in a post on ofartandwine.com), Ice Wines are also quite nice in summer to finish off a meal with a touch of sweet. They work well with soft cheeses and with cheesecake, perhaps with a berry topping.
So pandemic not withstanding, we can still have our summer picnic fun. It just takes bit a creativity and care. Bon appetit!
One more thing, when wanting to travel via wine tasting, one can join a wine club. The CellarsWineClub.com offerings on this site (see Pages) present a wide selection for every budget and level of taste, a “no bad bottle” return policy, and free shipping. Check it out. They also have a Give Back program that allows you to give part of the purchase to one of a number of vetted charities. You can feel good and do good.
©marjorie vernelle 2020
Coming Soon: One Model, Two Artists, Great Art, and Wine in France-Comté
James McNeill Whistler came to visit fellow painter, Gustave Courbet, bringing along with him his new mistress, Jo, “la belle Irlandaise.” It was only a matter of time before this:
Admittedly the woman here is not Jo, as this is an earlier painting, but it is – uh humm – the most polite expression I can find for what happened. I shall spill the tea in the next article.