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עמוד:12
Naked in the Forest The painting is very large , 264 by 208 cm . It shows a small clearing in a tempei te-zone forest . The tress , possibly oaks , are large but relatively young . The dense foliege blocks t e sunlight , making the scene dark . Yet it is a sunny day" In the middle and toward the back , theatre es stand away from clear swath of ground , illuminated by bright light emanating from the center of the horizon , which accentuates the contours of branches and their leaves , revealing reflections in the pinkish water of a small stream , possibly a pond . Patches of light , let in by gaps in the forest ' s canopy , speckle the dark underbrush . The pink and gold quality of light suggests it is either morning or late afternoon . The scenery . the dark tones and the meticulous attention to detail bring Dutch painting to mind . There are four figures in the foreground of the painting . They form a rough equilateral triangle , slightly right-of-center . In the front - two men and a woman are sitting on the grassy ground . The apex of the triangle is defined by the stooping figure of a second woman , wading knee-high in the water at some distance behind the trio in the forefront . In the lower left-hand corner of the painting , in the immediate background , there is a rumpled blanket with the leftovers of a meal : a cross-bun , square flagon lying flat , fruit in a wicker basket . Given this scenario , one can fill-in a narrative . In a Renaissance neo-Classical setting , I would visualize a couple of nymphs and satyrs frolicking in the forest after a hearty meal , or perhaps Venus and Adonis with a couple of attendants , the dark forest lending foreboding to the apparently happy scene . In the later Romantic period . two shepherds and shepherdesses enjoy the blissful ( in the eyes of the poet , say Wordsworth ) union with nature . A voyeur might imagine the clandestine pleasure of watching two women bathing , reminiscent of Suzanna and the Elders . The characters are none of the above . The men . far from being satyrs , peasants or dirty old man , are in their late twenties or early thirties , elegantly , even foppishly dressed . They have carefully trimmed beards , sparkling white collars and casual black jackets . They both wear black berets , and the one lying propped on his elbow is holding a thin stylish cane . If anything . they look like midnineteenth century dandies . They project the image of gentle and tolerant affectation . There is a conversation going on . The man sporting a cane is making a point , emphasized by a gesture of his hand , while the other listens politely , with a slightly amused smile . There is nothing passionate about the conversation . It is more like a polite exchange of observations or light gossip . The woman the background wears what seems like a semi-transparent chemise . She is rinsing a plate in the stream , engrossed in something she sees in the water , completely removed from the action in front . But the other woman is the most startling . She is completely naked , sitting on her discarded dress , her elbow resting on the knee and her hand framing her chin in an elegant , almost studied pose .
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