The Therapist (1937)
2 – My immediate opinion
1 – A traveller who is hiding his inner loneliness
2 – An old man escaping his working life and discovering a place of paradise
3 – A man bringing his baggage and solitude on holiday
3 – Objects I see in the painting:
Straw hat, orange towel, two doves, bird cage, walking stick, brown bag with clasps, shoes, blue trousers, hands, sand, grass, sea, sky
4 – Five emotions:
Sadness
Loneliness
Uncertainty
Discomfort
Risk
5 – A short description
There is a man seated on a bank of sand by the sea. He is wearing formal clothing on the bottom half and bright holiday wear on the top. His hand is clutching onto a brown bag to his left, and the other hand is leaning on a walking stick to his right (symbolising age). Resting on his legs is an opened cage with two white doves, one inside and one outside. On top of the cage is an orange towel being held in place by a straw hat resting on the top. The orange fabric covers all of the mans body apart from his hands and legs creating a hidden element to the piece. The light, potentially from the sun, reflects off the figure and the surrounding sand and grass. The body is positioned to be facing towards the viewer.
6 – Description of three things in the background
Sea – dark and still with slight ripples
Clouds – white and very subtle on a straight horizon line
Sky – dark deep blue with very slight texture changes
7 – What I saw in the centre of the artwork
A white birds resting on a jutting out piece of wood outside a cage with its gaze facing down.
8 – Reaction to right hand side of painting
The birds are missing and the ‘sleeves’ are crumpled.
9 – Reaction to left hand side of painting
Seems to be brighter and includes the birds, and sleeves are smoother
10 – Why…
Is one bird outside and the other inside the cage?
- To symbolise the process of stepping out of your comfort zone (or cage)
- To represent the travellers feelings of loneliness
Is the body not visible?
- To bring emphasis to the bird cage in the centre of the painting
- To focus on his lack of identity
Is he facing the light?
- To represent change, and a new season (stepping out of his comfort zone)
- To symbolise reflection, and contemplation on his journey
11 – 3 new titles
The Lonely Traveller
The Collision of Two Worlds
Commuter on holiday
12 – My analysis of the scene
The Therapist is a colorful symbolic painting filled with mysterious embedded meanings waiting to be unraveled by the viewer.
This visually intriguing artwork draws the viewer into looking for the hidden significance behind the composition and diverse objects displayed.
Initially I thought the piece could be showing an old man escaping his work life to discover a place of paradise. However, when looking in greater depth, I sensed agitation and emptiness through the use of colour. The vibrant orange of the towel/ cloak generates a restlessness, and the flat blues of the sea express a loneliness and need for change.
Then I considered how the figure seems to be looking toward the sun which could represent change or hope. This lead on to the thought that the man could be searching for change, but is still carrying heaviness within from his past.
Furthermore, when studying the birds and the cage at the center of the piece, I found their underlying representation difficult to decipher due to their positioning within the cage. The fact that they are seated within the figures’ body shows to represent trapped emotions which are being covered, and yet open to the viewers eye.
The open doors to their cage show that they have their chance of freedom, but they aren’t willing to take it. This could mean that they are either fearful of change, or reluctant to leave due to old habits or fear for their safety. The man with his straw hat and business clothing seems to be carrying, or in fact hiding, this cage which is preventing him from taking flight and enjoying his freedom.
To conclude, I can see that the artist is very blatant with his use of objects and colours which could represent his openness to have the viewer think about what the meaning of the piece might be. It is an aesthetically appealing artwork, and yet saddening when considering the overall representation.
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