The Violet Wave - Georges Lacombe

A striking Symbolist work by Georges Lacombe, featuring rhythmic, stylised waves in shades of violet and indigo.

Georges Lacombe, a member of the Nabis group, produced this work during a period of intense experimentation with form and colour. The composition is defined by its flattened, decorative approach to the sea, where the water is rendered as a series of rhythmic, stylised curves. The central silhouette, dark and imposing, creates a stark contrast against the lighter, undulating forms of the waves. This figure acts as a vertical anchor within the swirling, almost liquid environment.

The palette relies heavily on shades of violet, lilac, and deep indigo, which evoke a dreamlike or otherworldly atmosphere. Lacombe avoids realistic depiction in favour of a more subjective, symbolic interpretation of the ocean. The clouds and waves share a similar formal language, blurring the distinction between the sky and the sea. This stylistic choice reflects the Nabis interest in synthesising external reality with internal vision. The work demonstrates the artist's ability to reduce natural elements to their essential, decorative components while maintaining a sense of movement and tension.

Lacombe often spent time in Brittany, and the rugged coastline of that region frequently informed his artistic output. This particular piece captures the raw, elemental power of the Atlantic, yet it remains firmly rooted in the aesthetic concerns of the late nineteenth-century avant-garde. By prioritising pattern and colour over traditional perspective, Lacombe invites the viewer to engage with the image as a flat, graphic surface. The result is a composition that feels both ancient in its mythic quality and modern in its execution.