B44 Bathing Pool Beryl Cook

The canvas presents a scene centered around a circular swimming pool, rendered with a distinct lack of idealized beauty. Here we see a group of individuals engaged in leisure activities, yet their portrayal deviates significantly from conventional depictions of relaxation and enjoyment. The figures are characterized by exaggerated physical features – notably, substantial body mass – which immediately challenges notions of aesthetic perfection prevalent in much representational art.
The composition is tightly structured; the pool’s circular form dominates the central space, acting as a visual anchor for the arrangement of people around it. A raised deck borders the pool, populated with individuals reclining on chairs or standing, observing the scene. The color palette is relatively muted, dominated by blues and creams, punctuated by occasional splashes of brighter hues in swimwear and accessories. This restrained use of color contributes to an overall sense of detachment and observation rather than immersion within the depicted environment.
The expressions displayed by the figures are particularly noteworthy. They range from vacant stares to faint smiles, conveying a pervasive atmosphere of quiet resignation or perhaps even boredom. There is little interaction between individuals; they appear isolated in their own thoughts, despite being physically proximate. The child playing with a ball in the foreground seems an exception, but his expression remains ambiguous – a mixture of amusement and something akin to melancholy.
Subtly, the painting appears to critique societal norms surrounding beauty, leisure, and social interaction. The exaggerated physiques suggest a commentary on consumerism and the pursuit of pleasure within a specific cultural context. The lack of genuine connection between individuals hints at an underlying sense of alienation, even amidst supposed relaxation. The artist’s choice to depict these figures with such unflinching realism – devoid of sentimentality or romanticization – suggests a desire to expose uncomfortable truths about human existence and societal expectations.
The framing device, the thick gold border, adds another layer of complexity. It creates a sense of distance between the viewer and the scene, reinforcing the feeling that we are observing a carefully constructed tableau rather than witnessing an authentic moment in time. The overall effect is one of unsettling familiarity – a depiction of everyday life stripped bare of its usual gloss, revealing a more complex and perhaps less appealing reality.