Artwork
Family Voices: Figures Looking out to Sea
Family Voices: Figures Looking out to Sea is an oil painting by the Contemporary Realist artist Guy Vaesen. It dates from 1980 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Family Voices: Figures Looking out to Sea is an oil painting on unglazed canvas created by Guy Vaesen in 1980. The work is characterized by its dreamy, contemplative atmosphere and distinctive framing.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts two figures, a man and a boy, seated on a grassy cliff, gazing out to sea. Their poses convey a sense of introspection and quiet contemplation, inviting the viewer to reflect on the scene.
Technique & Style
Vaesen's use of loose, quick brushstrokes and soft colors creates a serene atmosphere. Thick paint is applied in certain areas, producing an impasto effect that adds texture and depth to the figures, distinguishing them from the softer background.
History & Provenance
The painting was one of seven reproduced for a 1981 BBC Radio 3 broadcast of Harold Pinter's play Family Voices. It later appeared in stage productions of the play at the National Theatre and in the Cottesloe Theatre's 1982 presentation of Other Places.
Artist & collection
Artist
This painter’s 1980 oil, Family Voices: Figures Looking out to Sea, captures a quiet moment of people gazing across the water.
