John La Farge Prints – Dawn, Swimmers & Flowing Colour
John La Farge prints connect the human figure to a broad surrounding field of colour. A sweeping garment follows one body’s arc, while water partly absorbs the outline of a swimmer. Explore these works alongside figurative art, allegorical prints and seascape painting, comparing the movement of fabric with the body’s relation to water.
A long figure beneath an arcing cloth
The Dawn bends the body across the tall format, with pale drapery continuing towards the lower edge. Warm fabric and skin stand against darker blue-green bands. The raised arm and sweeping covering give the image a broad curve, making gesture and surrounding colour more prominent than a recognisable room or landscape.
A body extended through green-blue water
Swimmer places the figure diagonally beneath broad horizontal bands of sea and sky. The outstretched arm leads towards the upper right, while softer edges connect the lower body to the water. The freely handled surface makes the swimmer part of the changing colour rather than a sharply isolated silhouette.
Related artists and collections
Compare symbolic figures in George Frederic Watts, imagined colour in Odilon Redon and waterside bodies in Henry Scott Tuke. Further figure prints follows the extended poses, while seascape art develops the relationship between reflected colour, water and open surrounding space.
Read more in our Odilon Redon guide to symbolic imagery.