Lake Paradise Simon Combes (1940-2004)

The composition presents a dense, verdant landscape dominated by a thick wall of trees and foliage that occupies the upper two-thirds of the frame. These trees are rendered with a loose brushstroke, creating a sense of depth and suggesting a wild, untamed environment. The color palette is predominantly green, ranging from deep emerald to lighter shades, interspersed with hints of brown and yellow indicating seasonal change or sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Below this dense foliage lies an open expanse of grassland, bathed in warm, golden light. This area appears slightly elevated relative to a body of water visible at the very bottom edge of the image. A herd of elephants traverses this grassy plain, moving from left to right across the foreground. Their forms are rendered with less detail than the surrounding vegetation, appearing as silhouettes against the bright field. The scale relationship between the elephants and the landscape emphasizes their place within a vast natural setting.
The artist’s choice to frame the scene with a dark border creates a sense of enclosure, drawing attention inward toward the depicted environment. This framing also contributes to an almost theatrical quality, presenting the scene as a self-contained world.
Subtly, theres a tension between the wildness suggested by the dense forest and the relative openness of the grassland. The elephants’ movement across this space implies a journey or migration, hinting at themes of survival, adaptation, and the cyclical nature of life within an ecosystem. The overall impression is one of tranquility and abundance, yet also carries a quiet sense of vulnerability – the herds exposed position in the open field suggests potential dangers lurking beyond the frame.