Boatwomen in Brittany - Georges Lacombe

A striking Nabis work by Georges Lacombe, featuring two women in a boat framed by rhythmic, orange-red tree trunks.

Georges Lacombe, a member of the Nabis group, painted this work during his time in Brittany. The Nabis sought to move away from naturalistic representation, favouring instead a decorative approach that prioritised flat areas of colour and bold outlines. This piece reflects those stylistic concerns through its simplified forms and non-naturalistic palette.

The composition features two women rowing a boat laden with a large, rounded bundle. They are framed by the vertical, rhythmic trunks of trees in the foreground, which act as a screen between the viewer and the water. The trees are rendered in a striking, warm orange-red, contrasting with the dark, moody tones of the water and the distant bank. The figures themselves are depicted with minimal detail, their forms integrated into the overall decorative scheme of the painting.

Lacombe was deeply influenced by the aesthetic principles of Paul Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School, particularly in his use of synthetic colour and flattened perspective. The scene avoids the atmospheric depth typical of traditional painting, opting instead for a graphic, almost cloisonné effect. The dark, sombre background serves to push the figures and the orange tree trunks forward, creating a sense of quiet, rhythmic movement. This work is characteristic of the Nabis interest in capturing the essence of a subject through simplified, symbolic form rather than literal description. The deliberate choice of colour and the arrangement of shapes create a sense of stillness, typical of the Symbolist tendencies within the Nabis circle. It remains a clear example of the group's departure from Impressionist techniques in favour of a more structured, decorative visual language.